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R E S E A R C H M E N T O R I N G C O M M U N I T Y

2012 RESESS, SOARS, AND SPARK PRE-COLLEGE INTERNSHIP ABSTRACTS

Earth,Wind, Sea, and Sky

RESESS intern Breanna Skeets works

at University of Colorado’s INSTAAR

Ecohydrology lab on extracting water

from tree branch and soil samples for

stable isotope analysis.

We are very pleased to present the 2012 edition of EARTH, WIND, SEA, AND SKY, showcasing 54

summer projects of students from our three internship programs, Significant Opportunities

in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS), Research Experiences in Solid Earth Sciences

for Students (RESESS), and the Spark Pre-College Internship.

These three research internships are high school-to-college and undergraduate-to-graduate

bridge programs designed to broaden participation in the geosciences. We encourage

students from groups that are historically under-represented to enter the earth and

atmospheric sciences, and prepare them to succeed in college or graduate school.

While RESESS focuses on the earth sciences, SOARS and the SPARK PRE-COLLEGE program

encompass the broad field of atmospheric and related sciences. Cornerstones of the

internships are strong mentoring, a supportive learning community and authentic research

experiences. It is an intense and rewarding experience for the students, in which they work

much more independently and through inquiry than in a traditional classroom setting.

In addition to learning how research is done, interns discover how collaborative the

scientific endeavor can be. Interns have multiple mentors, guiding them on their science,

programming, writing and communication. Part of the summer experience involves learn-

ing how to make most of these collaborations between colleagues. These interchanges are

often cross-disciplinary and exciting, pushing science forward, and often continue in the

form of senior theses, graduate projects, or in a second summer with the internship. The stu-

dents continue to expand their professional network in the following academic year, when

they present their research at national scientific meetings.

In one of these unique collaborations, two SOARS and one RESESS intern worked with

local and Native American communities in Southeastern Louisiana this summer. Hosted by

scientists at the Center for Hazard Assessment, Resources, and Technology at the University

of New Orleans, our interns were introduced to projects that support community viability

in the face of current and historical ecosystem change by integrating physical science,

geospatial technology and traditional ecological knowledge.

As always, we thank our many partnering laboratories and mentors for their careful guidance

and teaching of the interns. Thank you for modeling what an innovative, collaborative

and exciting science career looks like! Without you these internship programs would not

be possible. We are grateful to those who were new mentors this year, and those who

returned; thank you.

We hope that you will enjoy this volume of abstracts. We are very proud of the 2012 SOARS,

RESESS and Pre-College interns and delighted to present their results!

Rebecca Haacker-Santos

Head of Student Opportunities, Spark UCAR Science EducationValerie Sloan

Director of RESESS, UNAVCO

SOARS Protégé Abstracts 2012

Role of latent heat and sensible heat fluxes from the ocean in the genesis of Cyclone NargisVanessa D. Almanza

Relating electrified cloud properties to Wilson currents: An oceanic and continental case studySarah A. Al-Momar

An examination of the link between decadal changes in precipitation, winds, and sea surfaceheights in the tropical Indo-Pacific during the period 1993-2010

Matthew A. Burger

Mapping social vulnerability to landfalling hurricanes in the Atlantic BasinDereka L. Carroll

Probabilistic forecasts of severe convection with a WRF-DART analysis and convection-permitting forecast system

Logan C. Dawson

Characterization of metal concentrations in PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 in rural and urban ColoradoJenny Eav

Variability of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling as described by the HAO high-latitudeempirical model

Stanley G. Edwin

The response of the magnetosphere and ionosphere to solar wind variability for 2002-2010 Alexandra Hackett

The change in the North American Monsoon seasonal precipitation in the CCSM v.4 underIPCC CO2 emission scenarios

Manuel Hernandez, Jr.

Statistical analysis of relations between monthly teleconnection indices Ma’Ko’Quah Jones

Design and construction of the HIAPER Cloud Radar control and safety subsystem Javier Lujan

Protecting South Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, through the development of Vanishing Points:An iPhone application

Sandra N. Maina

Sensitivity of a simulated deep convective storm to WRF microphysical schemes and horizontal resolution

Annareli Morales

Energy extraction from ocean currents and waves: Mapping the most promising locations Ana Ordóñez

The effects of tropical deep convection on upper tropospheric ozone concentrationsAna Ortiz

Increasing the efficiency of GEOS-Chem Adjoint model runs using a Python ensemble managerAndre Perkins

Ethnobotanical conversations along the bayou: Identifying vulnerable plant species valued bysouthern Louisiana’s coastal Native American tribes

Frances Roberts-Gregory

The impact of cloud type on surface radiation and road pavement temperatureCurtis L. Walker

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The impact of GPS radio occultation on the prediction of extreme rainfall associated with Typhoon Morakot (2009): Precipitation forecast verification

Ching-An Wang

Comparison of lidar detection statistics using ensemble average and ‘single realization’ dispersion models

Jake Zaragoza

RESESS Intern Abstracts 2012

Identifying high concentration areas of fecal coliform in Bayou Terrebonne, Louisiana: Measurements and a community's perspective

Jordan Allen

Controls on landslides in a low relief topography, New JerseyAshlyann Arana Morales

Biogeochemical evaluation of diel cycles in a spring-fed travertine depositing stream in Clark County, Virginia

Habib Bravo-Ruiz

The evolution of ash and soil properties in a burned area, 2010 Fourmile Canyon wildfire nearBoulder, Colorado

Melissa Carnicle

Strain rate analysis of Central America from GPS velocity fieldsChristine Chesley

An analysis of methods for measuring aqueous iron redox speciesKayla Christian

Use of terrestrial laser scanning to characterize rock glacier surface morphology and deformation, Handcart Gulch, Colorado

Yanet Cuddus

Lateral Pn velocity and crustal thickness variations along six transects through the mid- continental United States

Ashley Grijalva

Crustal structure of the Eastern United States from regional network recordings of wide angleMoho reflections

Calvin Johnson

Yellowstone Lake seiche: Investigating the causes and implications regarding the calderaJenna Lente

A search for apatite and zircon in the rocks of the Marlborough Fault System, South Island,New Zealand

Cristina Lugo-Centeno

Carbon stocks and sequestration in forests: How much do we know?Nathan Mathabane

GPS and remote sensing constraints during the July 2003 dome collapse of Soufrière Hills: Implications for ash plumes and vertical deformation

Rachel Medina

Using the USArray seismic data to study earthquakes of the Rio Grande riftJenny Nakai

Water sources for trees growing on bedrock outcropsBreanna Skeets

Table of Contents

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Earth,Wind,Sea,andSky

Shallow subsurface conductivity survey of Betasso Watershed, ColoradoAngel Torrens-Bonano

Fluid injection and induced seismicity: Two Ohio case studiesIsabel Villaneda-van Vloten

Spark Pre-College Intern Abstracts 2012

Diurnal temperature effects on dataloggers, ETI precipitation-gauge load cells and GEONORprecipitation-gauge vibrating wires

Nitza M. García (Pre-college Chaperone)

An analysis of volcanic eruptions in state-of-the-art global climate modelsAspen Anderson

Extending the online database for the Solid Precipitation Intercomparison ExperimentAngel G. Andino

Predicted impacts of climate change on ground-level ozone in cities in the Western United States

Elizabeth Dresselhaus

Evaluation of two snow events at the NCAR Marshall Field SiteXavier E. Figueroa Muñiz

A 32-year climatology of 700 mb temperature variation and how this impacted tornado occurrencesBrad Guay

Investigating tropical cyclone forecast errors by analyzing AHW track error outliersAlberto Hernandez

Investigation into the 7 June 2012 deviating supercell in ColoradoTommy Hoffman

Determination of the planetary boundary layer height during the BEACHON-RoMBAS field campaign

Nicolas Ledru

Deviating hurricane intensity in the Gulf of Mexico: An analysis of AOD and SST with hurricanebest track data from 2002–2011

Jessica Lin

iPad application for NASA’s Earth Observing Laboratory field projects Osvaldo IV Massanet Ramirez

Domain decomposition of sea spray-laden fluid dynamics codeEdward Montoya

Investigation of climatically suitable container breeding habitats for the Dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti

Karielys Ortiz-Rosario

The engineering and assembly of an X-band ground stationRobert Perez-Ossers

Performance of the Spar Guider System for the NCAR Boulder SparYesenia Marie Rivera-López

Implications of storm formation on heavy rainfall events in TaiwanLai (Stella) Sam

Installation of the Belfort Wireless Wind SensorNathan Yeo

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Front Row Javier Lujan, Jenny Eav, Ma’Ko’Quah Jones, Sarah Al-Momar, Ana Ordóñez, Annareli Morales, Sandra Maina, Manuel Hernandez, Matthew Burger (with Freddie)

Back Row Frances Roberts-Gregory, Ana Ortiz, Jake Zaragoza, Vanessa Almanza, Dereka Carroll, Ching-An Wang, Andre Perkins, Logan Dawson, Curtis Walker

Protégés are pictured left to right:

S O A R S is a multi-year undergraduate-to-graduate bridge program designed to broaden

participation in the atmospheric and related sciences. It focuses on three strategies: building

a strong and supportive learning community, offering students multiple mentors, and providing

hands-on experience in research. SOARS invites

students from many disciplines – including

meteorology, chemistry, physics, engineering,

mathematics, ecology, and the social sciences

– to apply their expertise to understanding

the Earth’s Atmosphere. vThe SOARS experience

centers on 10-week summer research intern-

shipsthat also include a weekly communication

workshop, and culminate in end-of-summer

research presentations by protégés. During

the summer, each protégé is supported by mentors at UCAR, NCAR, and partnering labs who

focus on research, communication, and computing. SOARS staff and returning protégés

provide career and life-choice mentoring throughout the year. v SOARS protégés also receive

need-based tuition support, GRE and graduate school training, and financial and logistical

support to present their research at scientific meetings. v During the past seventeen

years, 153 SOARS protégés have presented 307 posters and 109 oral papers at regional,

national, and international scientific conferences, with several receiving awards. They have

been accepted into and excelled in top-rated graduate programs in atmospheric science.

Seventy-four protégés have earned their PhD or MS in science or engineering, while 43 are

currently in graduate programs. Over 120 have earned undergraduate degrees in the STEM

field while nine are presently undergraduates. Twenty-one summer research

projects have resulted directly in protégé-coauthored papers published

in peer-reviewed journals.

Role of latent heat and sensible heat fluxes from the ocean in the genesis of Cyclone Nargis

On May2,2008, Tropical Cyclone Nargis killed over130,000 people in southern Myanmar making it the eighthdeadliest cyclone of all time. A better understanding of the mechanisms in the early stages of development oftropical cyclones, such as the role of latent and sensible heat fluxes from the ocean, could help forecastmodelers better understand the model physics, improve the model forecasts and ultimately gain a better leadtime in detecting and predicting cyclones. Our study conducted two experiments using the Weather Researchand Forecast model version 3.3.1 to determine the impact of surface fluxes on the genesis of Cyclone Nargisduring a 60-hour forecast. The two experiments included: a control run (CNTRL), where the model forecasthad no modifications, and a no flux run (NOFLX), which turned off both surface sensible heat and latent heatfluxes. The CNTRL produced a strong cyclone, with a maximum wind of 95 knots (48.9 ms-1) and a minimumpressure of 955 hPa. The NOFLX run produced a very weak cyclone with a maximum wind of 30 knots (15.4 ms-1)and a minimum pressure of1002 hPa. Thus the major components in cyclogenesis of Nargis were the surfacelatent and sensible heat fluxes over the ocean, where the sea-surface temperature was above normal.

3rd-year ProtégéGraduate StudentUniversity of Hawai’i at Ma-noaMeteorology

m e n tors

research

Richard Anthes, Shu-Ya Chen,Doug Hunt, Ying-Hwa Kuo,William Schreiner, Chieh-Ju Wang,COSMIC

writing & communication

Loretta Melhado, NCAR

2012 SOARS Abstracts Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science

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Vanessa D. Almanza

These surface plots show the 60-hour forecast of Cyclone Nargis from the Weather Research Forecast model whichbegan 26 April 2008 00Z and ended 28 April 2008 12Z. Figures A) and B) show sea-surface pressure in hPa at 5hPa intervals. The figures C) and D) show wind barbs in knots.

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1st-year Protégé SeniorValparaiso UniversityMeteorology

m e n tors

research

Wiebke Deierling, Christina Kalb,NCAR


Kimberly Kosmenko, UCAR

COACH

Carol Park, NCAR

PEER

Logan Dawson, SOARS

Sarah A. Al-Momar

Relating electrified cloud properties to Wilson currents: An oceanic and continental case study

Thunderstorms and other electrified, non-lightning producing clouds are thought to play an important rolein maintaining the potential difference between Earth’s surface and upper atmosphere. These clouds areresponsible for producing Wilson currents between cloud tops in the troposphere and the electrospherewhich help sustain the Global Electric Circuit (GEC). Estimates of Wilson currents for oceanic and continentalelectrified clouds were recently derived from data collected over two decades during multiple field cam-paigns involving the NASA ER-2 aircraft. It was found that the strength of Wilson currents varies by stormtype and on average is higher for oceanic storms than their continental counterparts. This study builds uponfindings made from the ER-2 data set and investigates relationships between the dynamical and micro-physical properties of electrified clouds and coincident ER-2 Wilson current estimates. Variations of theseproperties were also studied during the lifecycles of one oceanic and two continental storms from 19September 2001. Maximum reflectivity measured by the Next Generation Radar and ER-2 Doppler radars,radar derived precipitation ice mass and ice water path, updraft volume, maximum updraft velocity and cloudtop height were compared to the Wilson current measurements. Some cloud properties, such as ice waterpath and updraft volume, correlated well to the Wilson currents. Cloud top heights, however, did not havesuch a strong correlation. Further research is needed to determine if these results are robust. If proven, theycould be utilized as Wilson current parameterizations in a modeling framework of the GEC.

a) Ice Water Path (gm-2) versus estimated Wilson current (A) for oceanic storm A and continental storms B and C. b) Updraft volume with vertical velocities greater than 5 ms-1 and above -5º C level (m3) versus estimated Wilsoncurrent (A) measurements for oceanic storm A and continental storm C. Continental storm B had an updraft volume of 0 m3 at this height.

3rd-year ProtégéOhio University B.S. Geography, Meteorology 2012

m e n tors

research

Weiqing Han, CULaurie Trenary, NOAA


Lesley Smith, NCAR


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Climate change has contributed to global sea level rise. However, in situ measurements and satellite obser-vations indicate that this increase is not uniform over the tropical Indo-Pacific basin. Further, satellite altimetrydata documented large-scale decadal variations in sea level over much of the tropical Indo-Pacific basin,such that sea level trends underwent a decadal phase change around 1999/2000. Large-scale reversals insea level trends are associated with fluctuations in the Indo-Pacific branch of the Walker cell. This researchexamined the nature of decadal sea level change over the tropical Indo-Pacific basin and how these changesrelate to low frequency variations in the strength of the Walker circulation. Understanding the causes ofdecadal sea level variability will aid in adaptation. The relationship between the decadal changes of seasurface heights and zonal wind stress was investigated for 1993-1999 and for 2000-2010 in three regionsshowing distinct decadal phase reversals near1999/2000. Changes in the large-scale circulation associatedwith the Walker circulation were inferred from decadal changes in the precipitation over the Indo-Pacificwarm pool and changes in the zonal winds in both the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans. To isolate thedecadal variability in the three variables, five year centralized running means were used. The results showeda decadal phase change in the strength of the Walker circulation and a strong correlation to winds and sealevels in the tropical Indian and western Pacific, while variability in the eastern Pacific appeared to be morestrongly influenced by ENSO.

Matthew A.Burger

An examination of the link between decadal changesin precipitation,winds, and sea surface heights in thetropical Indo-Pacific during the period 1993-2010

The 5-year running mean precipitation anomaly (mm) averaged over the Indo-Pacific warm pool for the 1993-2010 period, together with the linear trends for the periods of 1995-2000 and 2000-2005 (black solid line).

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Mapping social vulnerability to landfalling hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin


Studies have shown that about 63% of deaths in the U.S. due to tropical cyclones between 1970-1999occurred inland. The main cause of these deaths is freshwater flooding often associated with severe localstorms spawned from the parent cyclone. In addition, these storms can produce numerous and widelyscattered tornadoes, as evidenced by Hurricane Ivan (2004) that produced117 tornadoes across eight states.Inland communities remain at risk, despite a steady decline of deaths in coastal communities. This researchmapped both the inland and coastal social vulnerability to hurricanes making landfall in the Atlantic Basin.Historical flood data and inland wind decay functions from tropical cyclones were used to identify hazardprone regions. Specific demographic factors were used on the county level to identify vulnerable communitiesand create a vulnerability index on a scale of 1-10. This builds on the existing Hurricane Disaster Risk Index byincluding the vulnerability of inland communities and their associated factors. The most vulnerable countieswere located in Arkansas and the Carolinas with vulnerability values between 4.00 and 4.53. Counties in thesouthern Florida Peninsula were found to have high vulnerability due to their likelihood of flooding as a resultof tropical cyclones with values at 4.80 and higher. The least vulnerable region was in the D.C. area withvulnerability values as low as 2.67. The social vulnerability map produced may be used as a decision aid foremergency managers to assist with resource allocation and emergency response.

2nd-year ProtégéGraduate StudentPurdue UniversityAtmospheric Science

m e n tors

research

James Done, NCAR


Dave Ahijevych, NCAR

Dereka L.Carroll

Spatial map of social vulnerability to Atlantic hurricanes indicating the locations of the most (light shading) and least(dark shading) vulnerable counties, to aid emergency management decisions. According to factors used in this study,portions of the southern tip of Florida, the Carolinas and most of Arkansas are most vulnerable to hurricane disaster.

Probabilistic forecasts of severe convection with a WRF-DART analysis and convection-permitting

forecast system

2nd-year ProtégéGraduate StudentPurdue UniversityAtmospheric Science

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Glen Romine, NCAR


Sarah Tessendorf, GLOBE


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Convection-permitting models provide useful forecast guidance on expected convective mode, but oftenstruggle to accurately forecast timing and location for small-scale and extreme events. Additionally, withhorizontal grid spacing on the order of 1-4 km, small-scale convective features and severe weatherphenomena are not fully resolved, necessitating the use of severe storm proxies. In this study, a five-memberWeather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model ensemble was used to assess the performance of proba-bilistic convection-permitting model guidance in forecasting severe storms that occurred on19-20 May 2012across the central Great Plains. Forecasts were initialized with an ensemble mesoscale analysis from thereal-time NCAR WRF-DART ensemble data assimilation system. Model forecasts were subjectively evaluatedby comparing radar observations and storm reports to model fields and severe storm proxies such assimulated reflectivity and maximum updraft helicity. Precipitation forecasts were verified against Stage IVanalysis using a “neighborhood-based”approach, which has been shown to produce more representativeforecast skill scores when verifying high-resolution model output. Results suggested the ensemble systemproduced a reliable forecast of convection that would have provided useful guidance on storm mode,location and intensity on this day. Severe storm proxy probabilities of maximum updraft were found to bemost useful for identifying locations of observed weather hazards, while discriminating hazard types fromtheir associated proxies were less skillful.

Logan C.Dawson

Figure shows the ensemble probability of maximum updraft speeds exceeding 20 m s–1 during an 8 h windowwhen convection occurred. Tornado, severe wind, and hail reports are represented with triangles, circles, andcrosses, respectively. The frequency can be interpreted as the percentage of the five ensemble members that forecasted a 20 m s–1 updraft in each grid column.

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Characterization of metal concentrations in PM2.5and PM10-2.5 in rural and urban Colorado


The Colorado Coarse Rural Urban Sources and Health study is a three-year study focused on characterizingthe mass, composition and sources of coarse particulate matter (PM10-2.5) in urban and rural Colorado andevaluating how differences may be associated with several health outcomes. As part of this study, ambient airsamples were collected every sixth day for twenty-four hours from four sites in Denver and Greeley, Colorado,from February 2010 to March 2011 to study the chemical composition of PM10-2.5. The two sites in Denver wereAlsup and Edison Elementary School. Edison is an urban-residential site located west of Downtown Denverwhile Alsup is an industrial-residential site. The two sites in Greeley were McAuliffe Elementary School andMaplewood Middle School. Both are residential sites. Greeley is the county seat of Colorado’s most prolificagricultural region. Samples were collected on Teflon filters at each of these locations using a dichotomousfilter sampler. Multiple filter samples for each site, usually from the same month, were combined and analyzedfor 49 elements in each PM size (PM2.5 and PM10-2.5). The monthly composites were analyzed for metals andions by Magnetic Sector Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy. Crustal enrichment factors (CEF)were calculated to assess the contributions of human and natural sources of trace elements on PM10-2.5

emissions. Copper was the most enriched element in all the air samples and Edison was the most enriched incopper of all the sites. These results help us to understand sources of PM in Colorado.

2nd-year ProtégéGraduate StudentUniversity of California, BerkeleyGlobal Health and Environment

m e n tors

research

Nicholas Clements, Michael Hannigan, Jana Milford,CU


Linda Carbone, Spark

Jenny Eav

Crustal enrichment factors (CEFs) of 13 elements at Edison and Alsup Elementary Schools in Denver, Colorado, andtwo sites in Greeley, Colorado. The reference element is Al. Sources different from crustal material are indicated byCEFs greater than 10. The high CEFs in Cu shown in the figure may indicate traffic-related emissions, i.e. abrasivemechanical processes like brake- and tire-wear.

Variability of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling as described by the HAO high-latitude

empirical model

2nd-year ProtégéSeniorMathematicsUniversity of Alaska, Fairbanks

m e n tors

research

Astrid Maude, Art Richmond, NCAR


Laura Allen, Spark


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Understanding magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling is important because energy transfer from the magne-tosphere to the ionosphere needs to be represented. This work examines the High Altitude Observatory(HAO)’s high-latitude empirical model that represents magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling as energytransfer between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere. The model represents the spatial distribution ofthe height integrated Poynting flux, the electric potential and the magnetic potential in the upper atmosphereunder varying geophysical conditions. HAO’s empirical model was contrasted against Weimer’s 2005 empiricalmodel. Both models are derived from the Dynamic Explorer Two (DE-2) data set from August1981 to March 1983. The purpose of the research was to show that the energy transfer generally quantified by the Jouleheating could be estimated by the height integrated Poynting flux. The Poynting flux can be calculated fromsatellite measurements, while the Joule heating requires knowing the Pederson conductivity, which is notmeasured by DE-2. This study showed that the Poynting flux can represent the energy transfer in Jouleheating. Though both models are derived from the same data set, their respective electrical potential has beenstatistically computed by different methods. Weimer’s derived electrical potential from the DE-2 data set has,in general, a greater electrical potential than HAO’s derived electrical potential. Weimer’s model uses theinterplanetary magnetic field solar wind velocity and density as extra inputs in comparison to HAO’s model.The integrated Poynting flux of HAO’s model is comparable with the total Joule heating over a given area.This demonstrates that energy transfer between the magnetosphere and ionosphere can be successfullyestimated from satellite measurements, using the integrated Poynting flux.

Stanley G. Edwin

This figure depicts the relationship between Weimer’s total Poynting flux, and HAO empirical model’s integratedtotal Poynting flux. In the larger graph, the Poynting fluxes are integrated over the polar region of 50° magneticlatitude, and their energies in comparison to changes in IMF magnetic transient magnitudes (5nT, 10nT, 15nT, 20nT)are shown. The smaller box shows the 180° interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) angle range of HAO’s Poyntingflux determined from the background and residual energies.

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The response of the magnetosphere and ionosphereto solar wind variability for 2002-2010


Understanding the Sun’s processes and how they affect the Earth allows us to better understand climatechange, main sequence stars, and aids in the understanding and prediction of space weather. The need foraccurate space weather forecasting increases as our dependence on satellite communication and electricpower grids grows. This work examines magnetospheric and ionospheric response to solar wind driversduring various phases of solar cycles 23 and 24 (years 2002-2010). To date, no studies on Sun-Earth couplingduring this period have considered both ionospheric and magnetospheric response to various solar drivers. Inthis study, several satellite data sets were used to examine solar parameters, relativistic and energetic electrons,nitric oxide (NO) infrared radiation and Auroral power (Ap). Yearly time series, correlations, and trends inperiodicities were examined for the entire period, and active years (2002 and 2003) and inactive years (2008and 2009) were contrasted in attempts to develop an understanding of the underlying physical processesand relationships among solar, magnetospheric, and ionospheric parameters. Relativistic and energeticparticles had the highest correlation with solar wind speed in general, especially during the extended solarminimum when high speed streams were present (2008). Periodicity analysis showed the dominance of the27-day solar rotational period for the declining phase of cycle 23, and more prominent 7, 9 and 12.5-dayperiodicities for the solar minimum. These findings support previous work, and combine two areas of researchto reveal a more complete view of Sun-Earth dynamics over this time period.

2nd-year ProtégéGraduate StudentColorado School of MinesApplied Physics

m e n tors

research

Gang Lu, NCAR


Ingrid Cnossen, NCAR

Alexandra Hackett

Correlation coefficients for magnetospheric and ionospheric parameter pairs (Auroral Power [Ap], NO Power, energeticelectrons [POES], and relativistic electrons [GOES]), and solar parameters Vsw, VBz , Interplanetary Electric Field (IEF),and two coupling functions -dφ/dt, and ε were calculated. This plot shows the highest correlations among theseparameters for 2002-2010.

The change in the North American Monsoon seasonal precipitation in the CCSM v.4 under

IPCC CO2 emission scenarios

2nd-year Protégé Graduate StudentTexas A&M UniversityGeography

m e n tors

research

Julie Caron, Joseph Tribbia, NCAR


Will Wieder, NCAR


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The North American Monsoon (NAM), characterized by distinct seasonal precipitation over western Mexicoand the southwestern United States, is a summertime phenomenon that depends on complex interactionsbetween the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the North American land mass. The NAM is stronglyinfluenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation, a dominant mode of inter-annual Pacific sea surface tem-perature (SST) and atmospheric variability, as well as the North Pacific Oscillation, a low-frequency (decadal)Pacific variation. This study assesses present day and projected changes in the NAM precipitation on a yearlyand seasonal basis. Observations from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-NCAR reanalysisproject are compared to the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) version 4 from 1980 to 2000.Fifteen CCSM ensemble runs, each pertaining to an IPCC AR4 emission scenario (A1, B1, and constant CO2),are compared within their specific scenario and averaged for comparisons at a present (1980-2000) and afuture (2080-2100) date. Global and regional plots show yearly and seasonal decrease in precipitation andincrease in temperature through all IPCC emission scenarios. Our analysis provides statistical significanceto the correlation of the difference in mean precipitation and SSTs over the NAM region, due in part todifferent levels of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Manuel

Hernandez, Jr.

The plot above illustrates the difference in mm between future precipitation (2080-2100) and present precipitation(1980-2000) on a seasonal basis, ranging from May to September (NAM season) using the high emission scenario(RCP 8.5). A decrease in seasonal precipitation is shown throughout the Sierra Madre Occidental, the same regionin which the North American Monsoon begins to propagate.

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Statistical analysis of relations between monthlyteleconnection indices


Weather conditions in one region can often be linked to conditions in another region thousands of miles away.These long-distance relationships are known as teleconnections and play a large role in our ocean-atmospheresystem, including normal weather patterns. Some recurring deviations, or anomalies, in regional weatherpatterns are commonly referred to as oscillations. This project focused on common spatial oscillations thataffect North American weather patterns: the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO) and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). These phenomena are monitored using climate indices,which are calculated monthly from relevant physical variables representing the state of the oscillation over aspecific region. Contemporaneous and lagged correlation analysis was used to investigate relationships among4 indices: the NAO index, the PDO index, the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and the Niño3.4 sea surfacetemperature (SST) index. Results show the autocorrelation function of the PDO is highly significant (at the 5%level) for at least one year and still significant out to at least seven years, which was the length of time allowedby the 60-year (1951-2011) dataset. The Niño3.4 autocorrelation is negative (significant at the 5% level)around 24 months, which indicates a transition in the ENSO from a positive to a negative phase, andsignificantly positive again around 50 months. The maximum correlation between the PDO Index and theNiño3.4 SST Index is 0.52 (highly significant), with the PDO leading the Niño3.4 by two months. Under-standing correlations and whether there exists relationships between teleconnections may improve seasonalweather forecasting.

1st-year ProtégéJuniorDartmouth CollegeGovernment and Native American Studies

m e n tors

research

Leslie M. Hartten, Cécile Penland,CIRES, NOAA/ESRL


Allen White, NOAA/ESRL

community

Yvonne Mondragon, UCAR

peer

Annareli Morales, SOARS

Ma’Ko’Quah Jones

The autocorrelation functions of the Niño3.4 SST index and the PDO index (dashed curves) and the correlation functionbetween these two indices (solid curve). Values are based on monthly time series of PDO and Niño3.4 indices fromJanuary 1951-December 2011.

Design and construction of the HIAPER Cloud Radarcontrol and safety subsystem

2nd-year ProtégéSeniorUniversity of Texas at El Paso Electrical Engineering

m e n tors

research

Peisang Tsai, Mike Strong, NCAR


Matthew Druckenmiller, NCAR


13

The High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER) Cloud Radar(HCR) is a millimeter wave radar being developed by NCAR for the study of cloud microphysics. The radarresides underneath the wing of NCAR’s Gulfstream V research aircraft in a pod fixture where it will operateduring flights. It is a pulsed, nadir-pointing radar system with spatial resolution of 30 meters that operatesat 95 GHz. While the radar transmitter, receiver, and a computer reside inside the pod, the rest of thesystems—the control section, archiver computer, klystron, and a control and monitoring unit—are insidethe aircraft’s fuselage. Communication between the pod and the fuselage is needed in order to control, sendsignals, and retrieve status signals. The focus of this research was to design and build a safety subsystem toincorporate into the radar system. A Control and Safety (CS) subsystem is introduced into the radar systemby means of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that will reside in the control section. The CS ensures systemintegrity and communication by receiving signals from the pod while adding immunity against possible noise.It also integrates security measures such as disabling the transmitter in case an object of considerable sizeor a person crosses the beam to avoid damage to the receiver or the person. The CS is also capable ofresetting the computer inside the pod via software or hardware (switch) if it becomes unresponsive. Thecompleted CS subsystem will be part of the HCR system and tested in the first test flight scheduledin February 2013.

Javier Lujan

Completed control and safety subsystem that will be incorporated in the HIAPER Cloud Radar.

14

Protecting South Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana,through the development of Vanishing Points:

An iPhone application


Southern Terrebonne Parish is home to a community that lives off the land and water and shares a uniqueconnection to their environment. Unfortunately, the loss of their land due to land dynamics such as subsidence,sea level rise and salt-water intrusion is seldom recognized outside the state of Louisiana. If no action is takento counter the current trend in wetland loss, communities would lose about a football-size piece of land everyhour. The phone application Vanishing Points was developed to broaden the awareness of coastal land loss inthis area. This study describes the Participatory Action Research methods used to 1) identify the ‘VanishingPoints’ – locations of cultural, personal, and historical importance as chosen by the community members,2) determine the history and importance of these locations, 3) record personal testimonies, and 4) collectfamily historical pictures portraying changes both in land and use. Our study also involves creating animationsof historical land loss for each location, which will be incorporated in the application. Vanishing Points will bringcommunity and national attention to the impacts of coastal and wetland loss, and encourage advocacy forthe protection of the land and culture of Southern Terrebonne Parish.

3rd-year Protégé Graduate StudentFlorida International UniversityEnvironmental Studies

m e n tors

research

Jonathan Foret, SLWDC Kristina Peterson, Shirley Laska,UNO-CHART

Sandra N. Maina

Prototype screenshots for the iPhone application Vanishing Points.

Sensitivity of a simulated deep convective storm to WRF microphysical schemes and

horizontal resolution

2nd-year ProtégéGraduate StudentColorado State UniversityAtmospheric Science

m e n tors

research

Cecille Villanueva-Birriel, PUHugh Morrison, NCAR


Melissa Bukovsky, NCAR


15

Bulk microphysical (MP) parameterizations describe the processes by which water and ice particles growand precipitate within a cloud. These schemes allow models to represent cloud processes that occur on themicroscale and cannot be properly resolved. Uncertainties in climate simulations and operational forecastsremain due to the choice of MP scheme. To analyze the effect different parameterizations have on cloudprocesses and storm development, this study simulates a single, isolated deep convective storm occurring ina low wind shear environment using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in idealized modeat “convection-permitting”scale (i.e., without a deep convection parameterization). WRF was initializedusing an atmospheric vertical profile from the National Center of Atmospheric Research Community ClimateSystem Model (CCSM3) averaged for the summer months (June, July, August) for 1970-1999 over Jasper,Indiana, USA. Four MP parameterizations available in WRF (WSM6, Thompson, Milbrandt-Yau, andMorrison) were compared at three different horizontal resolutions (2 km,1km, and 250 m). An analysis ofstorm evolution and structure was performed, including precipitation efficiency and storm dynamics. Resultsshowed large increases in surface precipitation with increasing resolution regardless of the MP parameter-ization, especially between 1 km and 250 m grid spacing. This occurs because of greater condensationassociated with increased updraft mass flux at higher resolution. Overall differences between schemes wereconsistent at the various resolutions tested. Out of the four schemes, WSM6 produced the lowest precipita-tion amount, which results from a relatively high rain evaporation rate. This study concludes that a strongsensitivity to MP scheme and horizontal resolution exists, which can impact surface precipitation, stormstructure and dynamics in model simulations.

Annareli Morales

Summary of results. All quantities (except accumulated rain) are averaged over the 1.5 h simulations, averagecondensate and evaporation rates are vertically-integrated values and include condensation/evaporation (deposition/sublimation) of all hydrometeor species (liquid and ice), the average rain rate is that at the surface, and the precipitation efficiency is calculated as the ratio of average surface rain rate divided by average condensation.

16

Energy extraction from ocean currents and waves:Mapping the most promising locations


Concerns about fossil fuel supplies and an ever-increasing demand for energy have prompted the search foralternative power sources. One option is the ocean, a power-dense and renewable source of energy; however,the ocean’s capacity to meet human energy demands is poorly understood. While raw wave energy resourceshave been investigated at many scales, little is known about where and how much power can be extracted.Even less is known about the energy available in ocean currents, especially on a global scale. This studyassessed where significant amounts of energy in ocean wind waves and currents are available for human use.Global wave and current energy were calculated from model data and mapped. To assess the recoverableenergy around the United States, population and marine protection area data were combined with technicalspecifications for the Pelamis and SeaGen energy convertors, and the dollar values of the energy wereestimated. The results suggest that promising amounts of wave and current energy are available bothglobally and around the United States. Potential locations for wave and current energy farms exist on each ofthe Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf Coasts of the U.S. Further research in this area may lead to greater support fordeveloping, testing, and deploying ocean energy converter technology.

1st-year ProtégéSeniorArizona State UniversityGeography

m e n tors

research

Baylor Fox-Kemper, Peter Hamlington, CU


Brian Bevirt, NCAR

coach

McArthur Jones, CU

peer

Manuel Hernandez, Jr., SOARS

Ana Ordóñez

The total wave energy transport (kinetic and potential energy) in kW m-1 of wave crest length was calculated fromspectral significant wave height and zero-crossing period and averaged from 1994-1995.

The effects of tropical deep convection on upper tropospheric ozone concentrations

1st-year ProtégéSeniorUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignAtmospheric Sciences

m e n tors

research

Chris Davis, NCAR


Dan Marsh, NCAR

computing

Courtney Weeks, NCAR

coach

Christopher Williams, NCAR

peer

Dereka Carroll, SOARS


17

Ozone (O3) is harmful to breathe at the surface and acts as a greenhouse gas in the upper troposphere. Ithas become important to understand how O3 is distributed throughout the troposphere and how its distri-bution changes with time. This study focused on variations of O3 in the tropical upper troposphere over theAtlantic Ocean. It is hypothesized that tropical deep convection reduces O3 in the upper troposphere becausethe air processed through the storm updraft originates in a relatively pristine region at low altitudes. Aircraftobservations from the PRE-Depression Investigation of Cloud-systems in the Tropics (PREDICT) project alongwith cloud top temperatures calculated from infrared satellite images are used. To better examine therelationship of O3 fluctuations with other variables, deviations from the mean vertical profile of O3 andpotential temperature are calculated. Condensed water content greater than 0.0722 g m-3 and cloud toptemperatures colder than the plane’s temperature plus 4˚C identify deep convection. We find a decrease inupper tropospheric O3 concentrations in 76% of tropical deep convective events. O3 concentrations outsideof convection vary as much or more than the variations measured while in convection. O3 concentrationsdecrease 61% of the time potential temperature deviations are negative. Deviations from these percentagesindicate other processes such as vertical and lateral motions outside clouds, chemistry associated with light-ning, or the presence of anomalous high O3 at low levels being important. This research contributes to abetter understanding of O3 distribution so that we can better monitor its behavior.

Ana Ortiz

Ozone mixing ratio deviations (solid line, left axis) and cloud top temperatures (dashed line, right axis) observedduring the PREDICT campaign on (1a) August 18, 2010 and (1b) September 20, 2010. Ozone deviations are calculated from aircraft observations by removing the mean vertical profile calculated from each flight. Cloud top temperatures are calculated from brightness of infrared satellite images.

10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00

12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00

18

Increasing the efficiency of GEOS-Chem Adjointmodel runs using a Python ensemble manager


Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with uncertainty regarding the strengths and trends of its sources. Theseuncertainties make it difficult for researchers to determine the exact reasons behind methane’s variableannual growth rate, and the stabilization of the atmospheric concentration over the past three decades. It ispossible to estimate individual methane source emission values using satellite measurements and inversemodeling techniques, although data quality limits how well individual sources are resolved. GEOS-ChemAdjoint is the combination of an atmospheric chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) with an adjoint model,and can be used to test the emissions source resolving power for actual and theoretical satellite retrievals ofmethane. In order to test the resolving power, the mathematical calculations require a large number ofindividual simulations to be run, but currently in the standard version of GEOS-Chem Adjoint eachsimulation needs to be manually set up and started. To overcome the need for manual setup and executionsof model runs, a manager script was created using the Python programming language. The ensemblemanager script automates the process of creating multiple unique simulations, and can run variable numbersof simulations to use resources on many different types of clustered computer systems. The python ensemblemanager marks the first step in a larger project of testing the current accuracy of methane surface emissionestimates, and helping to develop ways to help further constrain them.

2nd-year ProtégéSeniorUniversity of Wisconsin, MadisonAtmospheric and Oceanic Science,Computer Science

m e n tors

research

Daven Henze, CU


Jana Milford, CU

Andre Perkins

A flowchart of basic operations of the Python ensemble manager is illustrated here. After pyEnsemble batch scriptsubmission (1), RunEnsemble.py executes on multiple compute nodes. The ensemble manager sets up simulations(2) for other nodes and notifies them (3) to start their simulation (4).

Ethnobotanical conversations along the bayou: Identifying vulnerable plant species valued by

southern Louisiana’s coastal Native American tribes

2nd-year ProtégéSeniorSpelman CollegeSociology & Anthropology/Environmental Science

m e n tors

research

Andrew Barron, BTNEPCrystlyn Rodrigue, Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-ChoctawNikki Crowe, Thirteen MoonsC. Ray Brassieur, UL Heather Lazarus, Paty Romero-Lankao, NCAR Scott Denning, Lori Peek, Melinda Laituri, CSU Kristina Peterson, Shirley Laska,UNO-CHARTJulie Maldonado, AU


19

Ethnobotany, or the study of the relation between plants and people, concerns how the fruits or produce ofMother Earth are managed, used and perceived across human societies. The Pointe-au-Chien, GrandCaillou/Dulac and Isle de Jean Charles Native American tribes of southern coastal Louisiana historically usedtheir traditional lands for harvesting of culturally, and medicinally, valuable native plants. Unfortunately,local plant diversity and traditional knowledge are currently threatened by changing weather patterns,gas and oil exploration, land loss due to manmade and natural causes, saltwater intrusion and coastal degra-dation. The objective of this research was to identify major plants that were important to the tribal commu-nities as well as the issues surrounding their disappearance. We used Geospatial Information Systemsmapping to determine former and current locations of this assemblage of freshwater plants, and explore localsolutions to address the problems shared by all three communities. Engagement in conversation with tribalmembers allowed for the collection of ethnobotanical knowledge that was cross-referenced with historicaldocuments in addition to geographical range maps housed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture PlantResource Database. Historic vegetation maps of Terrebonne Parish were created using the online mappingtool found on the Louisiana Wetlands Coastwide Reference Monitoring System website. Future directionsinclude working with elders and traiteurs, or faith healers, to create participatory maps and integrating localknowledge with long-term scientific projections. Our exploration of ethnobotanical resources will poten-tially assist these communities adapt to climate change through identification of at-risk plants and optionsfor their retention.

Frances

Roberts-Gregory

Figure depicts a map of Louisiana’s coastal marsh vegetative types in 2007 as well as a photograph taken inDulac, Louisiana, of the common Native American healing plant elderberry Sambucus canadenesis (referred to as sureau in the Cajun/Native American French dialect).

20

The impact of cloud type on surface radiation androad pavement temperature


Forecast systems provide decision support for end-users ranging from the solar energy industry to municipal-ities concerned with winter road maintenance. The racing community also relies on racetrack pavementtemperature forecast systems because tire friction decreases as temperature increases, affecting vehicleperformance. Race crews perform vehicle maintenance (e.g., tire pressure and suspension adjustments) tomaximize traction given a forecasted racetrack temperature. Many forecast systems suffer from inaccurateradiation forecasts resulting in part from a lack of information relating radiation to cloud types. This researchseeks to improve the forecasts by determining how cloud type impacts the amount of solar radiationreaching the surface. Cloud type information was obtained from the Naval Research Laboratory CloudClassifier algorithm and radiation data were obtained from a Davis Weather Station. A theoretical maximumsolar radiation distribution was calculated. Cloud type-radiation distribution analyses from Salisbury, NorthCarolina, during May-June 2012 indicated that low clouds allowed approximately 20% of the maximumpossible radiation to reach the surface, mid level clouds 32%, high clouds 40% and cumuliform types 34%.A categorical regression analysis revealed 33% of the variation in solar radiation on cloudy case days can beexplained by cloud type. Inclusion of clear case days with obvious variability lowered this to 7% suggestinganother influence on radiation. A similar bulk statistical analysis is in progress on a much larger data setobtained from the Oklahoma Mesonet. This work lays the foundation for use of satellite cloud type informa-tion in order to improve the output of forecast systems.

3rd-year ProtégéGraduate StudentUniversity of Nebraska-LincolnAtmospheric Science

m e n tors

research

Michael Chapman, NCAR


Jeff Custer, NCAR

computing

Amanda Anderson, NCAR

Curtis L. Walker

Distribution of mean solar radiation measured at the surface for all nine case studies, sorted by cloud type heightcharacteristics, where n represents the sample size.

The impact of GPS radio occultation on the predic-tion of extreme rainfall associated with Typhoon

Morakot (2009): Precipitation forecast verification

1st-year ProtégéJuniorNational Chengchi University,TaiwanStatistics

m e n tors

research

Rick Anthes, Xingqin Fang, Ying-Hwa Kuo, Matthias Trattler,COSMICBarbara Brown, Eric Gilleland,NCAR


Ernesto Muñoz, NCAR

COACH

Amy Stevermer, COMET

PEER

Javier Lujan, SOARS


21

One of the challenges of tropical cyclone prediction is the lack of observations over the ocean. Onepowerful new source of data is the global positioning system (GPS) radio occultation (RO), which can providevaluable information about moisture distribution over the ocean. In this study we assessed the impact of GPSRO on the prediction of heavy rainfall associated with Typhoon Morakot (2009). Two sets of ensemble fore-casts were performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting model, one with the assimilation of GPSRO data and the other without. The forecasts started at 0000 UTC 6 August 2009, and extended for fourdays. Our study focused on the third day, the day with maximum rainfall, as well as the four-day total.Several verification scores were used to evaluate the precipitation forecast skill from the two sets of ensembleforecasts. These included: the frequency bias score, the threat score, the Gilbert skill score, the fraction skillscore, and image warping. Results from both the scores and image warping indicated that the assimilationof GPS RO data improved the prediction of precipitation. This study used a new method, image warping,which we believe could improve the information provided by verification methods for high resolution forecasts.

Ching-An Wang

Panel (A) shows the observed 24-h precipitation on day three (August 8, 2009) during Typhoon Morakot, andpanel (B) shows the ensemble mean forecast of precipitation with GPS RO assimilated on day three. Panels (C)and (D) show results of the image warping process for the ensemble means with and without assimilation of GPS RO. The arrows represent the way the forecast needs to be moved to best represent the observation. Thewhite areas represent the revised forecast intensities resulting from the warping.

22

Comparison of lidar detection statistics using ensemble average and ‘single realization’

dispersion models


Active remote sensors have various applications, from air pollution studies to defense uses. However, invest-ing in new sensors can be very expensive especially if the success of the instrument is not guaranteed. Arelatively inexpensive alternative to field testing is the numerical model. For NCAR’s Raman-shifted Eye-safeAerosol Lidar (REAL), difficulty in modeling its performance comes from the turbulence in the atmosphericboundary layer. There are two types of numerical models which can resolve the effects of turbulence, each withits own set of benefits and drawbacks: ensemble average and ‘single realization’ models. Ensemble averagemodels are computationally efficient; however they lack resolution, while ‘single realization’ models maintaina high level of resolution, yet become computationally expensive. This study focused on comparing these twoatmospheric dispersion models using REAL detection statistics, specifically looking to answer if model typeimpacts sensor performance. The process involved generating scenarios with the dispersion models, addingperturbations to mimic turbulence or creating multiple representations, depending on the model, and runningoutput through code representing the REAL in order to obtain detection statistics. Results were presented interms of time as in many defense uses, time is of the essence. The ensemble average model showed much lessscatter than the ‘single realization’ model, which exemplified the effects of averaging. This research alsodemonstrated that model type does impact the modeling of sensor performance.

1st-year ProtégéSeniorGonzaga UniversityChemistry

m e n tors

research

Andrew Annunzio, Luna Rodriguez, Paul Bieringer,NCAR


Anne Smith, NCAR

coach

Bob Wiley, UCAR

peer

Andre Perkins, SOARS

Jake Zaragoza

Detection statistics scatter plot as a function of Time to Hazard versusTime to Warn for the (A) ‘single realization’model and(B) ensemble average model.

Interns are pictured left to right:

Front Row Nathan Mathabane, Angel Torrens Bonano, Cristina Lugo Centeno, Isabel Villaneda-van Vloten

Back Row Ashlyann Arana Morales, Melissa Carnicle, Ashly Grijalva, Breanna Skeets, Yanet Cuddus, Rachel Medina, Kayla Christian, Jenny Nakai

Absent Jordan Allen, Christine Chesley, Calvin Johnson, Jenna Lente, Habib Bravo Ruiz

RESESS – Research Experience in the Solid Earth Science for Students is a summer research

internship program in the Earth sciences that supports underrepresented undergraduates on

their path to graduate studies in the geosciences. It offers an intense and rich eleven-week

experience based in Boulder, Colorado, in which interns do their own research project in

collaboration with a science mentor at the University of Colorado, the USGS, or UNAVCO.

This summer, we were thrilled to be able to offer

four additional internships with scientists located

in Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Interns worked closely with their science mentors,

RESESS staff, and in some cases, graduate student

mentors on their research projects. Boulder- based

interns met weekly for a Writing Workshop to work

on science writing, presenting their research, and

solving research challenges. In addition, they had the opportunity to participate in a two- day

leadership training, a seminar on applying to graduate school, and in several local geology

field trips. This year’s cohort was very hard working and embraced the challenges of research

eagerly; their work is presented here.

Rese

arch

Exp

erie

nces

in S

olid

Ear

th S

cien

ce fo

r Stu

dent

s

Identifying high concentration areas of fecal coliform in Bayou Terrebonne, Louisiana:

Measurements and a community’s perspective

2nd-year InternSeniorSavannah State UniversityEnvironmental Science

m e n tors

research

Val Sloan, UNAVCO Jennifer Roberts, Blaine Pezold,Bayou Land RC&D


Val Sloan, UNAVCO

social science

Kristina Peterson, Shirley LaskaUNO-CHART

community

Basile Dardar, UL

2012 RESESS Abstracts Research Experiences in Solid Earth Science for Students

27

Non-point source water pollutants from urban runoff are a cause for concern along Bayou Terrebonne, south-eastern Louisiana. This bayou, or small river, is on the EPA 303(d) list of impaired water bodies for havinglevels of fecal coliform frequently exceeding 200 cfu/100mL. In this study, we measured fecal coliform bacterialevels at 21 locations along the bayou between the cities of Thibodaux and Houma during the summer of2012. Samples were collected biweekly for two months at 16 locations along the Upper Bayou Terrebonne,and weekly for one month at five Middle Bayou Terrebonne sites. Results show that fecal coliform levelsvary substantially along the bayou on days without rain, from below 200 cfu/100mL to over 6000 cfu/100mL.Levels of E. coli are extremely high at all sites after rainfall, and commonly exceed 6000 cfu/mL. Sourcesappear to be pipes draining from buildings, and are also speculated by community members to includebroken residential septic systems.

Using Participatory Action Research (PAR), community-based research methods, and community involve-ment, we conducted a survey (150 respondents) and interviewed community members about their uses andclean-up approaches for Bayou Terrebonne. We found that residents along Upper and Middle BayouTerrebonne use the stream for fishing and occasional recreation. The levels of fecal coliform are high enoughto present health risks to people using the water recreationally. Results show that in densely populatedareas, the bayou has dangerously high concentration areas of fecal coliform. The memory of earlier uses andcontinued sense of attachment suggest a willingness to implement changes necessary for cleanup.

Jordan Allen

Results of fecal coliform levels at 16 sites along Bayou Terrebonne.

28

Controls on landslides in a low relief topography,New Jersey


Every year, landslides kill and injure people and damage homes and structures around the world. The U.SGeological Survey recently developed a prototype landslide hazard map for the conterminous United States.One of the questions to answer when making such a map is how to delineate areas of negligible hazard,particularly in areas of low topographic relief. The purpose of this research is to identify which areas in NewJersey, a low relief area, are prone to landslides and which factors distinguish landslide-prone areas.

Landslide point locations were obtained from a database of181historical landslides (1782 to 2010) compiledby the New Jersey Geological Survey. Of those181 landslides,17caused 68 fatalities and 53 injuries. Ouranalysis of the database and precipitation records show that the majority of the landslides (54%) in this areaare triggered by heavy rain.

New Jersey is underlain by clastic sedimentary, nonclastic sedimentary, igneous intrusive, igneous extrusive,and metamorphic rocks. The majority of landslides occur in the areas dominated by igneous and metamorphicrocks, with the highest incidence of landslides occurring in the igneous rocks.

We used GIS to overlay landslide point locations on maps of lithology, local relief, and slope. A majority(53%) of the landslides occurred on slopes of 10° or less. We created buffer zones of 90m, 240m, and 480maround the landslide locations to find the steepest slope bordering each landslide. The results confirmed thatthe landslides did occur in areas of low relief. An in-depth study of the database revealed that human activitysuch as construction, mining, and quarrying contributed to 32% of landslides on gentle slopes (≤10°),suggesting that human activity was a significant trigger. Higher resolution (1-3 m) elevation data are neededto adequately identify landslide-prone slopes in low-relief areas such as New Jersey.

1st-year InternSeniorUniversity of Puerto Rico,MayagüezGeology Minor in Meteorology

m e n tors

research

Rex Baum, Jonathan Godt, Lynn Highland, USGS


Lon Abbott, CU

graduate student

Erin Leckey, CU

Ashlyann

Arana Morales

(a) Number of landslides per unit area by lithology. New Jersey has a very interesting and unique geology and is divided into 4 provinces. We lumped the lithology into 5 types: clastic sedimentary, nonclastic sedimentary, igneous intrusive, igneous extrusive and metamorphic. Igneous intrusive is the most susceptible rock-type to landslides. Most landslides have occurred in the Piedmont and Highland provinces, which are dominated by igneous and metamorphic rocks.

(b) Percentage of total landslides by 5° slope increment. We computed slopefrom a 30m DEM to obtain slope angle at each landslide point. About one-third of landslides occurred on slopes of 10° or less.

(a)

(b)

Biogeochemical evaluation of diel cycles in a spring-fed travertine depositing stream

in Clark County, Virginia

2nd-year InternGraduate StudentWest Virginia UniversityHydrogeology

m e n tors

research

Daniel H. Doctor, USGS


Daniel H. Doctor, USGS


29

The diel cycles in temperature and chemistry of Spout Run, a spring-fed stream in Clarke County, Virginia,were studied to determine biogeochemical factors that control the balance between calcite precipitationand dissolution. The gaging station at Spout Run is located above a travertine dam that forms a waterfallwith a pool below. To assess diel cycling of biogeochemical processes, chemical and isotopic analyses weremade to water samples collected above (site A) and below (site B) the waterfall at two-hour intervals duringtwo days. Complementary field measurements of pH, conductivity, temperature, and light intensity weretaken continuously during the sampling process. Preliminary results reveal that temperature, conductivity,and the isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13C-DIC) peak near midnight at both sites. Thecoincident cycles in δ13C-DIC values and temperature suggests that an increase in temperature caused adecrease in the solubility of CO2, and therefore an increase in δ13C-DIC values due to outgassing of CO2.The δ13C-DIC values also slightly increased from site A to site B, suggesting that CO2 outgassing occurredalong the waterfall. This is supported by differences in pH and excess partial pressure of CO2 (ePCO2) betweenboth sites. In the periods of greater light intensity, in-stream photosynthesis by aquatic plants and algaepreferentially added dissolved oxygen (DO) to the water; however, there is a 2-hour time lag between theDO and δ13C-DIC peaks. Future dissolved gas analyses geochemical modeling results will provide insightson the saturation state with respect to calcite throughout the study period.

Habib Bravo-Ruiz

1a) Temperature and conductivity above (site A) and below the waterfall (site B) in Spout Run from 06-26-2012 to 06-28-2012. Minor ticks are two-hour intervals and gray boxes indicatenighttime.

1b) Isotopic composition of the DICfor site A and site B. Tempera-ture rises at midnight causing a decrease in the solubility of CO2. Slight differences in the isotopic composition of the DIC between site A and site B indicate that outgassing might be occurring along the waterfall.

30

The evolution of ash and soil properties in a burned area, 2010 Fourmile Canyon wildfire

near Boulder, Colorado


Mountainous watersheds often exhibit increased runoff and flashfloods after a wildfire. Changes in the soil’schemical and physical properties may affect a generation of runoff from burned areas. The interactions of ashand soil after a wildfire have not been studied. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine theevolution of ash and soil properties in response rainfall after a wildfire.

The 2010 Fourmile Canyon wildfire burned 2500 hectares of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Boul-der, Colorado. Archived samples collected in 2010 and 2011 (ash samples only from 2010) were selectedbased on rainfall events. Samples from five dates were chosen for analysis. We measured both physical andchemical properties of ash and soil, including pH, electrical conductivity (E.C.) of water extracts, soil organicmatter, and particle size.

Soil samples from three dates were analyzed for the short term (seven day span) trends with respect to time.Soil extract pH and E.C. decreased overtime. However, pH and E.C. exhibited an increase after a rainstorm.We hypothesize this increase to be a result of water-soluble ions in the ash being leached into the soil. SoilpH decreased 0.7 over six days in comparison to an increase of 0.5 after a rainstorm. The E.C. decreased 0.01mS/cm over six days in comparison to an increase of 0.05 mS/cm after a rain event. Soil organic matterincreased 1% over six days in comparison to an increase of 8% after a rain event. We hypothesize theincrease in organic matter to be a result of microbial activity.

2nd-year InternSeniorUniversity of Minnesota-MorrisChemistry, Geology, and Environmental Science

m e n tors

research

Deborah Martin, John Moody,USGS


Lon Abbott, CU

graduate student

Erin Leckey, CU

Melissa Carnicle

Total daily rainfall over a two-week period after the fire in October of 2010 is represented by the black bars at thetop of the graph. The plotted points show pH levels of soil extracts. The fire started September 6th, and four replicatesoil samples were collected at least every other day after the 2010 Fourmile Canyon wildfire. The mean (n=36) ofall pH measurements for four replicate soil samples for each date is represented by a filled black circle. The mean(n=9) of three pH measurements for three replicate soil extracts is shown as a grey square with bars representing+ standard deviation. Replicate soil samples B and C were selected for analysis because they were collected theday before and after a rain event. The soil pH increased after the rainfall on September 23rd.

Strain rate analysis of Central America from GPS velocity fields

2nd-year InternJuniorUniversity of MiamiGeology and Applied Math Minor in Physics

m e n tors

research

Peter La Femina, Daisuke Kobayashi, PSU


Peter La Femina, PSU


31

Central American tectonics are strongly influenced by the interaction between the Caribbean (CA) and Cocosplates. Of primary importance is the collision of the Cocos Ridge, an aseismic ridge that subducts shallowlyalong the Middle American Trench. Geodynamic processes related to these interactions have fragmentedthe western Caribbean into tectonic blocks, namely the Central American fore arc (CAFA) and possibly thePanama Block (PB), and helped to reshape the geology of Central America. We perform a strain rate analysisof Central America by interpolating a 130 GPS station-derived velocity field using splines in tension. Weinvestigate zones with anomalous (i.e. nonzero) shear and dilatational strain rates, as these indicatecoseismic displacements, interseismic strain accumulation on faults, or volcanic deformation. We find zonesof anomalous shear strain rates in association with the step-over of faults in the El Salvador Fault Zone andalong the CAFA-CA boundary in Nicaragua, as well as throughout Costa Rica. Our models indicate lowshear strain rates around the Panama Canal Discontinuity. The dilatational strain rate models revealextension in the area of N-S trending grabens in Guatemala and El Salvador, as well as in the center of theCentral Costa Rica deformed belt. Compression is found along the fore arc of Costa Rica and along theNorth Panama deformed belt. These models support the hypothesis that the Cocos Ridge collision is drivingthe motion of the CAFA and PB, and that the Panama Region is a rigid block.

Christine Chesley

Shear strain rates of Central America. White vectors show motion of the Central American fore arc and Panamablocks relative to a fixed Caribbean Plate. Solid black lines are block boundaries modeled by Kobayashi (2012).Many of the seismically and volcanically active regions of Central America are highlighted by the anomalous (i.e. non-zero) shear strain rate patches. Zones of anomalous strain rates are most prevalent in the area from theNicoya to the Burica Peninsulas. Anomalies are also noticeable in Guatemala and El Salvador. Southern Hondurasand eastern El Salvador, as well as central Panama, have strain rates of 0 strain/yr in this model.

32

An analysis of methods for measuring aqueous iron redox species


Iron is highly reactive and often the most abundant cation in acid mine drainage (AMD). Consequently,accurate measurements of iron redox species for AMD are important. One method for measuring aqueousiron is a colorimetric method using FerroZine, an organic compound that forms a magenta colored specieswhen it complexes with Fe(II). However, samples with high concentrations of Fe(III) compared to Fe(II), suchas acid mine waters, can form a brick-red color that compromises the absorbance measurements of the Fe(II)concentrations. The objective of this study was to explore modifications to the current FerroZine method toimprove the reliability of aqueous measurements with high concentrations of Fe(III). These modificationsinclude: NaF addition, and the addition of HCl after color development to reduce the Fe(III) interference. Thisstudy found that the original FerroZine method became less reliable as Fe(III) concentrations neared 100(mg/L). NaF addition improved the reliability of Fe(II) measurements in the presence of Fe(III) concentrationsup to 100 (mg/L). The HCl addition reduced the brick-red color interference, but was also shown to degradethe ferrous color complex within hours. As a result, the HCl addition is only useful when the samples can beanalyzed immediately after this addition. As none of the modifications attempted in this study were viableoptions for measuring Fe(III) concentrations above 500 (mg/L), more work will need to be done to find abetter alternative. The next step in our research will be to attempt Fe(II) and Fe(III) separation using ionchromatography.

1st-year InternSeniorUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoEarth and Environmental Sciences

m e n tors

research

Dr. Kirk Nordstrom, Kate Campbell, Blaine McCleskey,USGS


Erin Lecky, CU

Kayla Christian

The measured Fe(II) concentrations were compared to the known concentration of Fe(II) in the sample (0.500 mg/L)for three different methods; the original FerroZine method (FZ), the FerroZine method (FZ) with Sodium Fluoride(NaF) added, and the FerroZine method with Hydrochloric acid (HCl) added. The overall accuracy of all measurementsworsen as the concentration of Fe(III) is increased. The original FerroZine method begins to deteriorate as Fe(III) isincreased to 100 mg/L. The HCl addition method produced Fe(II) concentrations that were lower than the knownvalues for each sample possibly because of HCl degradation of the ferrous complex with time. The NaF addition wasfairly accurate up to 100mg/L of Fe(III). The error associated with each method increased significantly as the knownconcentration for Fe(III) was increased to 500 mg/L.

Use of terrestrial laser scanning to characterize rock glacier surface morphology and deformation,

Handcart Gulch, Colorado

1st-year InternSeniorUniversity of HoustonEnvironmental Science

m e n tors

research

Jonathan Caine, USGSSarah Doelger, Ben Lowry, Jeff McWhirter, UNAVCO


Jonathan Caine, USGSLon Abbott, CU

graduate student

Erin Leckey, CU


33

While in recent years there has been extensive research on the kinematics of rock glaciers, very few studieshave been able to examine surface deformation and strain utilizing terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). Thegeneral consensus is that many alpine rock glaciers are a type of mass-driven, permafrost landform thatmoves tens of centimeters per year. In June, 2012, we scanned a portion of the Handcart Gulch rock glaciersurface at centimeter scale resolution to determine if there is evidence of deformation and what kind ofstrain it might be attributed to.

The Handcart Gulch rock glacier is multi-lobed and its surface shows many compression ridges. The surfacealso shows a number of scarp-like discontinuities that may be indicative of extension. The lobe fronts arecharacterized by lichen-free scarps that are up to ~4 m in height and are steeply dipping (>35º). Rhizocarponlichens that are 60-75 mm in diameter on the rock glacier surface suggest that the scarps on the Handcartrock glacier formed at least 300 years ago.

Using the TLS data, we will: (1) map the geomorphology and structure of the rock glacier surface, and(2) evaluate geometric aspects of the scarps and discontinuities, including: dip angle, trace length, andapparent displacement. In addition, we will use TLS data from future annual re-surveys to estimate totalstrain and strain heterogeneity, and to determine if extensional strain produced any of the scarps.

Yanet Cuddus

(A) Aerial image of Handcart Gulchrock glacier from Google Earth.The box shows the area in figure (B).

(B) Elevation map showing locationof the four slope profiles in figure (C).

(C) Slope profiles were derived using the elevation map and TLS point cloud data (x, y, z). The steepest slope angles along these profiles, bracketed by a black dot and black rectangle in the plots in figure (C) range from 38o to 44o.

34

Lateral Pn velocity and crustal thickness variationsalong six transects through the mid-continental

United States


Different seismological investigations have suggested that the western edge of cratonic upper mantle liessomewhere within the Great Plains of the U.S. The creation and elevation of the Rocky Mountains and GreatPlains is plausibly related to the modification or destruction of similar cratonic mantle that might haveexisted farther west. Thus, a better characterization of the nature of the transition from cratonic to tectoni-cally active mantle at a regional scale might provide insight into this uplift episode. We examine Pn traveltime residuals from earthquakes in the midcontinent recorded by EarthScope’s Transportable Array toconstrain the westernmost boundary of the North American cratonic mantle lithosphere. We picked Pn phasearrivals from ten regional events at stations up to 600 km distant around the craton edge. Where feasible,true Pn velocity and crustal thickness measurements were obtained along 20 reversed profiles betweenevents. Low true Pn velocities (< 8.0 km/s) were found underlying Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Incontrast, high Pn velocities (>8.0 km/s) exist to the east into Illinois and Oklahoma. The eastward increasein Pn velocities accompanies a decrease in crustal thickness from central Colorado to eastern Illinois. We willshow observations helping to define the position of the boundary separating low Pn velocities to the westfrom high Pn velocities farther east that presumably reflect a colder and stable mantle lid. Results will becompared to published tomographic studies in the region to help understand the geometry of this boundaryand place some constraint on its creation.

2nd-year InternSeniorUniversity of Texas at El PasoGeophysics

m e n tors

research

Craig Jones, Will Levandowski, CU


Will Levandowski, Lon Abbott, CU

Ashley Grijalva

Waveforms made with dbpick for a 5.63 ml earthquake in southeastern New Mexico with observed Pn first arrivals.Stations are in spatial order from1.69 to 2.24 degrees away from the event. A bandpass filter of 1-8 Hz was applied.Pn first arrival picks are marked by flags with “Pn” inside.

Crustal structure of the Eastern United States from regional network recordings

of wide angle Moho reflections

2nd-year InternSeniorPennsylvania State UniversityGeoscience

m e n tors

research

Michael Brudzinski, MU

postdoctoral student

Harmony Colella, MU

Graduate Student

Kristen Schlanser, MU


35

The EarthScope USArray is a collection of 400 seismometers being deployed in a uniform grid that is leapfrog-ging across the nation over10 years. While these efforts are helping to refine known tectonic features in thewestern U.S., the impact on our understanding of the crustal structure in the eastern U.S. will be dramatic.This region has been poorly resolved, as the existing seismic recordings have occurred on a patchwork of localnetworks with less than ideal instrumentation for typical crustal imaging. In this study, we seek to utilizeoptimal teleseismic events (large, deep, simple source), which generate large wide-angle topside reflectionsoff of the Moho (SsPmp). By applying this technique on instruments across the range of existing localnetworks, we have constructed a preliminary estimate of the crustal structure in the eastern U.S. that canadvise us on where to focus additional instrumentation (i.e., Flex Arrays) in advance of USArray. We findthinner crust east of the topographic axis of Appalachia consistent with the presence of a more recentlyaccreted terrane. We also find thinner crust along the Gulf Coast regions, as well as a region that extendsup into the New Madrid seismic zone. The latter is consistent with a major failed rifting event. Curiously,some of the largest crustal thicknesses observed in the eastern U.S. occur in a region near Lake Erie, whichcould represent fossilized overthickening during the Grenville orogeny.

Calvin Johnson

A systematic array of single bandwidth seismometers (triangles) measuring the time arrival of the SsPmp phase(measured in seconds) and potentially the depth, measured in km, of the Moho. The station names are locatedadjacent to the receiver station. Each seismometer has been strategically placed in various locations across theU.S. to measure seismic activity from a multitude of seismic sources, and provide a high-resolution image of theEarth’s interior.

36

Yellowstone Lake seiche: Investigating the causesand implications regarding the caldera


It has recently been verified that signals detected on strainmeters throughout the Yellowstone National Parkare caused by seiche waves in Yellowstone Lake. A seiche is a standing wave in an enclosed or partiallyenclosed body of water, leading to a harmonic, sloshing motion of the water. The purpose of this investiga-tion is to determine whether both strong winds and changes in barometric changes are the main causes ofthe seiches. If wind was the only cause of the seiche, the signal would not be detected in winter, when thelake is covered with ice. However, the signal is detected throughout the year, implying that there must be anadditional cause, such as a change in barometric pressure. This is evaluated by comparing both barometricpressure data and wind speed data against strainmeter data using event detection through the studiedmonths of January 2011 through February 2012. The strainmeter data has been detrended to account for theweight of snow, with the calibration pulses and Earth tides having been removed. Causes related to seismicactivity have been ruled out. It is important to understand more about the seiche because as a regularlyoccurring process, it can be incorporated to crustal models by using the lake’s mass and the knownperiodicity of its movements. The detection on strainmeters can be used to explain what lies under the lake,whether it is silicic magma or solid earth. Seiche signals detected on strainmeters over 20 km away from thelake indicate that there is not mostly solid earth under the lake. In addition, the seiche oscillates much longerthan other seiches typically do, supporting the hypothesis of an extensive magma chamber beneath the lake.Preliminary results using visual correlations between the variables are inconclusive, indicating that anothervariable must be tested.

2nd-year InternSeniorColorado School of MinesGeological Engineering

m e n tors

research

Dave Mencin, UNAVCO


Dave Mencin, UNAVCO

computing

Charlie Sievers, UNAVCO

Jenna Lente

A), B), C) and D) represent nanostrain, lake depth, barometric pressure, and windspeed respectively in an attemptto show a correlation between barometric pressure and nanostrain or windspeed and nanostrain. These results areinconclusive, and it is likely that another variable will soon be tested.

A search for apatite and zircon in the rocks of the Marlborough Fault System,

South Island, New Zealand

2nd-year InternSeniorUniversity of Puerto Rico,MayagüezGeology

m e n tors

research

Alison Duvall, Becky Flowers, CU


Lon Abbott, CU

peer

Isabel Villaneda-van Vloten, RESESS


37

The Marlborough Fault System (MFS), New Zealand, is composed of a set of four parallel strike-slip faults thatdecrease in age from north to south (~8Ma -1Ma). The rate of deformation and the seismic hazard of thisfault zone are unclear. New studies of the MFS aim to identify how fault movement affects the distributionof river patterns and hillslopes and then will extrapolate this understanding to other similar fault systems.Low-temperature thermochronology, which requires the presence of apatites and zircons (target minerals),is one of the key methods for investigating this problem. However, the presence of these target minerals inMFS rocks is not yet known. The purpose of this research is to characterize the abundance and quality ofapatite and zircon crystals in a reconnaissance suite of five samples (3 greywackes,1shale, and 1sandstone)recently collected by University of Colorado researchers from across the Marlborough field site to enablebetter targeting of samples for thermochronological analysis in the future. For this search, thin sections wereprepared and rock crushing and mineral separation were performed to compare microscope observations ofrock mineralogies with the apatite and zircon yield by mineral separation. Zircon was found in only one thinsection (the sandstone) and apatite was not identified in any. Evaluation of the separated minerals under themicroscope, however, confirmed that these rocks did contain the target minerals. Zircons and apatites of thesandstones are euhedral and characterized by a variety of sizes (from 70 to 40 µm). In the greywackes, thezircons and apatites were scarcer, more rounded, mostly broken, and had the same grain-size range as thesandstone. No zircons or apatites were present in the shale sample. The better yield of the sandstonesample is likely related to its larger grain size (tiny minerals are difficult to recover during mineral separation)or a different provenance than the other units. The key result of this study is that thermochronology will bea useful tool in the MFS, but some units, such as the sandstone, will likely yield better results than others.

Cristina

Lugo-Centeno

Map of the study area at the Marlborough Fault System, South Island, New Zealand. The five stars in the maprepresent the location where the samples were collected. The shade of each star is an indicator of the quality ofthe zircons and apatites found. Inset figure: Map of New Zealand tectonic setting; the box indicates the locationof the Marlborough Fault System.

38

Carbon stocks and sequestration in forests: How much do we know?


As anthropogenic CO2 emissions in America increase, both Washington D.C. and state governments lookfor ways to offset those carbon increases. Our forests provide an opportunity for carbon sequestration,assuming well-informed and deliberate management practices. Accurate spatial and temporal estimates ofcarbon stocks are integral to developing wise management practices. Spatial carbon stock estimates areoften represented in carbon maps, while temporal estimates are calculated using computer models. Thesemaps and models come from a variety of sources, such as the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA), the Forest Service (FS), and independent researchers. Here we evaluate the Forest Service’s ForestVegetation Simulator (FVS) to determine its sensitivity to input changes as well as its predictive ability overtime. We analyze field data collected from a site in the San Juan National Forest. This site was clearcut in1920,allowing us to model a complete regrowth over 90 years. Using biomass-to-carbon equations, we comparepresent-day carbon storage to FVS model projections. Finally, we look at the Forest Inventory and Analysis(FIA) database and a spatial carbon map developed by researchers at the University of Colorado to assessthe validity of landscape-scale estimates. Results indicate that the four spatial carbon estimates we use varyby only 25%, while the temporal carbon estimates diverge radically from field data. Knowledge of carbonuptake rates is one of the most pressing questions in atmospheric and ecological science. It is imperative thatcarbon models be improved to achieve this goal. Spatial and temporal comparisons such as the one con-ducted here are needed to provide the groundwork for model development.

1st-year InternSeniorPrinceton UniversityGeosciences

m e n tors

research

Jason Neff, Kathy Kelsey, CU


Lon Abbott, CU

computing

Daniel Fernandez, CU

Nathan Mathabane

A comparison of the four assessment tools for the Shearer Creek field site. The error bars indicate the range of thestandard deviation. All values are reported in tons per acre and consider only aboveground tree carbon. The averagecarbon sequestered in the Shearer Creek region was 48.7 tons per acre. These four measurements represent at 25%variance in total aboveground carbon, a relatively low number considering the wide range of inputs and assump-tions that go into each. Creating charts like this is essential to getting an accurate carbon quantity for a region.

GPS and remote sensing constraints during the July2003 dome collapse of Soufrière Hills: Implications

for ash plumes and vertical deformation.

1st-year InternSeniorFort Lewis CollegeGeology Minors in Mathematics andPhysics

m e n tors

research

Glen Mattioli, UNAVCO John Braun, COSMIC


Lon Abbott, CU

computer

John Braun, UCAR

graduate student

Erin Leckey, CU


39

A 210Mm3 dome collapse of the Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat, occurred on July 12th, 2003. Fivecontinuous GPS receivers collected data at 30 sec intervals covering the massive collapse. One GPS station,HERM, located 1.6km northeast of the dome and volcanic vent, recorded a maximum vertical displacementof 1.98m from its mean elevation of 437m above sea level, with negligible horizontal movement. This largedisplacement was recorded during the peak dome collapse event when ash venting and a significant plumewere most prominent. Both HERM and another station, SOUF, are in close proximity to the path of thepyroclastic flows resulting from the collapse. The SOUF site shows a maximum vertical displacement over thesame time of only 0.43 m. GOES satellite imagery from the event were examined and correlated with theapparent vertical displacement from HERM to test the relative contributions of: 1) the dome collapse andpossible elastic crustal response to unloading, and 2) tropospheric interference from co-collapse ash plumes.GOES infrared imagery was used to verify the temporal and spatial progression of ash and cloud cover byextracting gray scale values ranging from 0 to 255 for specific pixels proximal to the location of each GPSstation. We observed no variation between gray scale values in the GOES infrared band for specific pixelscentered on the GPS sites. In addition, the GPS-derived zenith-wet-delay from HERM shows a decreaseduring the peak dome collapse when the plume was at its maximum intensity, which is not consistentwith a substantial contribution from a volcanic plume. Accordingly, we infer that moisture content associatedwith the plume cannot solely account for the apparent vertical displacement of 1.98m observed at the HERMsite, and that some significant portion of the displacement is related to actual crustal motion during thecollapse event.

Rachel Medina

HERM’s height graphed as a kinematic buoy along a two-day period. Maximum and minimum heights are labeled.The box indicates a two and a half-hour time interval during the peak of dome collapse and ash clouds.

40

Using the USArray seismic data to study earthquakesof the Rio Grande rift


Broadly distributed deformation across the Rio Grande rift may indicate that low levels of seismicity arewidespread in New Mexico. To understand this seismicity and its tectonic significance, it is desirable toconstruct a catalog of low magnitude earthquakes. The first step in creating such a catalog for New Mexicois distinguishing mine blasts from earthquakes in the USArray Array Network Facility (ANF) catalog. We ex-amine nine regions that show concentrated seismic activity within a 40 km diameter to compare event fre-quency with event depth, magnitude, and time of day. For the time period studied, 2007 to 2010, the ANFcatalog events show magnitudes down to 1.2 compared to 2.5 in the USGS catalog, and the events are morespatially comprehensive. The event depth is a good way to distinguish between mine and non-mine events,provided that the depth error and anomalous events near mines at depths greater than 15 km are exam-ined. Event magnitude distributions of non-mine events have a higher standard deviation of magnitude anda higher skewness, which tends to be positive. The time of day is a good indicator of mine and non-mineevents because the mine events happen between sunrise and sunset. If a group of events is located near amine, shows depths near 0 km, shows a relatively low standard deviation about a mean magnitude, and hap-pens during the day, then it is likely a mine blast. In future work, the time of day, depth, magnitude, and mag-nitude cumulative distributions may be used to examine clusters of small magnitude events. Low magnitudeevents may be used in combination with GPS strain rate data to describe active deformation of the RioGrande rift.

1st-year InternGraduate StudentUniversity of Colorado at BoulderGeophysics

m e n tors

research

Anne Sheehan, CU


Lon Abbott, CU

graduate student

Erin Leckey, Daniel Zietlow, Will Levandowski, CU

Jenny Nakai

The cumulative magnitudes of the USGS, USArray Array Network Facility (ANF) mine, and USArray ANF non-mineevents for 2007 to 2010 are plotted by frequency on a logarithmic vertical scale. Lines are given by equations repre-senting the Gutenberg-Richter law. A b-value or slope of 1.0 is typical in seismically active regions. A b-value of 2.5(mine events) is more typical of an earthquake swarm. Note the dramatic difference in slope between the mine andnon-mine events. Flattening of the slope of the scatter plots indicates an incomplete catalog at that magnitude.

Water sources for trees growing on bedrock outcrops

2nd-year InternLawrence UniversityB.A. Geology

m e n tors

research

Holly Barnard, CUChris Crosby, UNAVCO


Lon Abbott, CU


41

Determining the water source for vegetation is complex due to the poorly understood interactions betweensoil and surrounding vegetation. Analyzing the relationship between vegetation and subsurface hydrologythrough stable isotopes furthers understanding of the source water. We compare stable isotope (18O and 2H)values from soil and from xylem samples of trees growing on bedrock outcrops in the Gordon Gulch catch-ment of the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory, a montane climate ecosystem. We also characterize thestudy site with respect to vegetation, slope, and topographic wetness index. Aerial LiDAR data providedinformation pertaining to these spatial characteristics. Initial isotope results indicate that trees are usinggroundwater sources, transient soil water, or more likely a mixture between the two. A mixture infers thatwater is coming from a deeper source such as water within fractures, or a less evaporated water source thatdoes not have exposure to the surface. Trees growing on five different rock outcrops all exhibit the samebehavior. Our mixing model indicates that all tested trees obtain over 85% of their moisture from ground-water, even in varying moisture conditions. Our spatial analysis indicates the trees growing on outcrops aremostly between 4 to 5 meters tall and that the slopes surrounding the outcrops are between 6 and 20degrees. The topographic wetness index demonstrates less moisture in close proximity of the rock outcrop.

Breanna Skeets

Ground water contribution to source water (as a percentage) for trees growing on rock outcrops and trees grow-ing in soil on the south-facing and north-facing slopes. Samples were collected over three weeks with varyingmoisture conditions (drought, light moisture, post-rain). For trees growing on outcrops, soil was collected whereavailable on the surface. For trees growing in soil on south-facing and north-facing slopes, soil was collected at10 and 30 cm. All xylem samples were collected from un-shaded branches.

42

Shallow subsurface conductivity survey of Betasso Watershed, Colorado


Surveys of the shallow subsurface in Betasso Watershed, CO, were conducted using an EM-31conductivitymeter that has high horizontal resolution (~3.5m) and vertical resolution of ~6 m. In this study, we examinewhether subsurface conductivity is higher in areas of steeper slopes or varies with slope aspect. Conductivityin subsurface sediments could be expected to be greater in gently sloping areas versus steeply sloping areasbecause water and clay sediments tend to accumulate in topographic lows and to be washed away fromsteeper slopes. We might also expect conductivity to be greater on north-facing slopes, where vegetationtends to be more abundant. We created a map of the electrical conductivity of part of Betasso watershed bycontouring ~2,900 EM-31 data points. We created slope steepness and aspect maps using a 1m resolutionDEM obtained from LiDAR that was collected as a part of the Boulder Critical Zone Observatory project,using GIS. We correlated the conductivity map with the slope and aspect using data from areas where bothtypes of data were available. Results shows that subsurface conductivity values were not correlated with slopeor aspect. It may be that the EM-31 measurements average conductivity at a depth that is much greater thanthe depth to which clays and water accumulate in the soil, and that only conductivity values closer to thesurface actually vary with slope or aspect. Variations in the EM-31 data may therefore be more stronglycontrolled by depth to bedrock. Combining the EM-31 data with DC resistivity measurements showspromise for creating a map of depth to bedrock, which will have significance for geomorphic studies onbedrock weathering and for environmental hydrogeology studies.

2nd-year InternSeniorUniversity of Puerto Rico,MayagüezGeology

m e n tors

research

Anne Sheehan, CUKyle Bohnenstiehl, UNAVCO


Lon Abbott, CU Val Sloan, UNAVCO

peer

Kara Epple

Angel

Torrens-Bonano

This figure is a plot of slope steepness vs. conductivity for Betasso watershed, Colorado. Contrary to expectations,there is no correlation between slope and conductivity, perhaps suggesting that the depth resolved by the EM-31conductivity meter at ~6m is greater than the depth of soil and water accumulation.

Fluid injection and induced seismicity: Two Ohio case studies

1st-year InternSeniorWichita State UniversityGeology

m e n tors

research

Shemin Ge,Matthew Weingarten, CU


Lon Abbott, CU

community

Erin Leckey, CU

peer

Cristina Lugo, RESESS


43

This study analyzed the link between the injection of fluid wastes and earthquakes at two sites in Ohio. Fourcriteria were used to determine if seismicity was induced by injection activity: (1) low background seismicityprior to the start of injection, (2) a strong spatial correlation between earthquake epicenter and injection well,(3) a strong temporal correlation between the start of injection and timing of the earthquake sequences, and(4) high pore pressure in the vicinity of the hypocenters at the time of the earthquake. The first event chosenwas a M3.0 earthquake that occurred near Deerfield, Ohio in August of 2000. The second site of interest isNewport, Ohio where earthquakes of M3.0 and M3.1 occurred in August of 2011. Both the Newport andDeerfield sites were seismically inactive intraplate sites prior to the start of injection. The large volumes of fluidwastes were injected into zones co-located in space (0.25 km and 3.78 km, respectively) and depth with theearthquake hypocenters. The Newport site exhibited a strong temporal correlation, as the earthquakesequence occurred less than 2 years after the injection started. The Deerfield site did not exhibit a strong tem-poral correlation, as earthquakes occurred more than two decades after the start of injection. Pore pressureincreases due to injection were calculated using the injection data and assumed hydraulic properties of therock formations. Pressure increases of1.9 MPa at the Newport site and 0.6 MPa at the Deerfield site werecalculated at the earthquake hypocenters at the time of the earthquake. These values have been shown tobe sufficient to induce seismicity assuming there are preexisting weaknesses. Evaluating the results againstthe four criteria suggests that the Newport site is most likely a case of induced seismicity. While lessdefinitive, the evaluated criteria for the Deerfield site also support a likely case of induced seismicity.

Isabel Villaneda-

van Vloten

a) Histogram of monthly injection volume in Newport well. An earth-quake event occurred on August 31st, 2011, less than two years after injection began.

b) Plot showing the litho-static and hydrostatic pressures as well as the 1.9 MPa pressure increase at injection depth for the Newport well.

UCAR’s Spark Pre-College Internship is designed to provide high school students with an

opportunity to gain experience with real-world scientific research, computing challenges

and/or engineering projects. Now in its third full year, the program welcomed 16 students,

nine of which were from the Denver metro area, one from Rhode Island, and six from Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rican students attended the program

through a partnership with the Ana Méndez

University System’s Pre-College Summer Research

Internship program. For six weeks, students

worked with top scientists and engineers, tackling

research topics as varied as volcanic eruption

impacts, changes in mosquito breeding areas, sur-

face level ozone associated with climate change,

instrument testing and installation, extreme

weather, and iPad application development. Mentoring is considered a critical component for

the success of the program. In addition to their research or engineering mentor, out-of-town

students were matched with community mentors from NCAR to welcome them to Boulder and

help them integrate into the community. Students also participated in seminars that further

related to higher education and science/engineering careers. They were offered individual

counseling on college and career choices, and enjoyed visits to various NCAR labs, the NCAR

Research Aircraft Facility and local colleges. Students were required to attend weekly

communication workshops where they learned how to create posters that highlighted the

results of their research. Students presented their posters at the conclusion of the summer

program during a formal poster session open to all NCAR scientists and engineers.

Interns are pictured left to right:

Kneeling Aspen Anderson, Lai (Stella) Sam, Elizabeth Dresselhaus, Jessica Lin

Middle Row Nitza García (chaperone), Xavier E. Figueroa Muñiz, Alberto Hernandez, Karielys Ortiz-Rosario, Osvaldo IV Massanet Ramirez, Yesenia Marie Rivera-López, Robert Perez-Ossers

Back Row Edward Montoya, Tommy Hoffman, Brad Guay, Nathan Yeo, Nicolas Ledru, Angel Andino

Spar

k Pr

e-Co

llege

Inte

rnsh

ip

45

2012 Spark Pre-College Internship Abstracts

Spark Pre-College Chaperone

Universidad del TuraboGurabo, Puerto Rico

m e n tors

research

Albert Jachcik, NCAR

Nitza M. García

Diurnal temperature effects on dataloggers, ETI precipitation-gauge load cells and GEONOR

precipitation-gauge vibrating wiresThis study was designed to measure the effect of varying temperatures on Campbell Scientific dataloggers,ETI gauge load cells, and GEONOR gauge vibrating wires. This experiment was performed in NCAR’s coldchamber. A special enclosure was designed to house the instruments and allow the temperature to bevaried from 30o C to -12o C. The control location was outside the thermal chamber, and the test location wasinside. During the tests, either the datalogger or the load cell/vibrating wire was maintained at the controltemperature. The first experimental setup had the load cell and vibrating wire inside of the thermal chamberwith the test datalogger exposed to the cold environment; the second scenario was reversed. The results ofthe first scenario showed that there was a correlation between the accumulation measurements of the loadcell (0.965) and vibrating wire (0.996) with the varying temperatures to which these instruments wereexposed. The results of the second scenario showed that there was a correlation of -1 between the meas-urement of the load cell and the varying temperatures of the test datalogger. However, the vibrating wire doesnot show correlation with the varying temperatures of the test datalogger with an R-squared value of 99.9%.The general results show that the temperature variations do affect the measurements of the load cell andvibrating wires. However, when just the datalogger temperatures vary, only the measurement of the load cellis affected.

Fossil Ridge High SchoolFort Collins, Colorado

m e n tors

research

Toby Ault, NCAR

Aspen Anderson

An analysis of volcanic eruptions in state-of-the-artglobal climate models

Each year as the global climate continues to change, it becomes more crucial to explore possible geo-engineering solutions to climate change. One solution may be to add aerosols into the atmosphere topotentially reduce the warming effect. One way to explore possible unintended consequences of modifyingthe global atmosphere is to study the climate response of large, aerosol-producing volcanic eruptions usingvarious global climate models. For the purpose of this research we decided to compare the response ofCommunity Climate System Model version 4 with those from the Coupled Model Intercomparison ProjectPhase 5 archive. The models suggested that aerosol loading would result in global land cooling, a slightpoleward displacement of jet streams and, in the tropical Pacific, an absence of cooling and an increase inprecipitation. If the model response is realistic, it is possible that a weak El Niño state would arise in thetropical Pacific from anthropogenic aerosol forcing. This research plays a significant role in understandingthe risk associated with attempting to engineer a cooler atmosphere and how this may interact with otherglobal phenomena.

46

Universidad MetropolitanaSan Juan, Puerto Rico

m e n tors

research

Andy Gaydos, NCAR

community

Marc Mueller, SPARK

Angel G. Andino

Fairview High SchoolBoulder, Colorado

m e n tors

research

Richard Wagner, MSU DenverScott Landolt, NCAR

Elizabeth Dresselhaus


Extending the online database for the Solid Precipitation Intercomparison Experiment

The Solid Precipitation Intercomparison Experiment (SPICE) is continuously producing data, and the projectparticipants need access to this data online. The goal of this project was to add winter snow data from oneof the SPICE participants – CANADA CARE – to the SPICE database and make it available on the SPICEwebsite. In this way users can view archived and real-time Canadian data with time-series graphs online. Themajor task in this project was to create code in a scripting language (PHP) to obtain and display data fromthe database on a website. Existing codes were used to overcome various challenges to ingesting data. Thewebsite and code were tested by using them as a normal user – viewing the database and available dataas graphs on the project website. The successful development of the Canadian winter snow data to theSPICE database and applying the PHP code were significant upgrades to the SPICE project.

Predicted impacts of climate change on ground-level ozone in cities in the

Western United StatesGround-level ozone is a major pollutant throughout the world that causes many of the human healthproblems associated with air pollution. This project seeks to discover the impact of climate change on ground-level ozone in six cities in the Western United States. This was done by determining how many days persummer have ozone levels above the EPA standard (75 ppb) in the present climate and then estimatingchanges if the projected temperature values were to rise two or four degrees Fahrenheit. Models expectthese temperature increases to occur near 2030 and 2050, respectively. The more stringent Canadianstandard (65 ppb) was also used because studies show that ozone levels lower than the EPA standard arestill detrimental to human health. The results showed an overall trend of increasing summer days with above-standard ozone: on average, the number of days above the American standard increased by 2.3 by 2030 and5.0 by 2050 in these six cities. Average increases of 3.0 days by 2030 and 6.0 by 2050 were predicted usingthe Canadian standard. Significantly more days were expected to exceed the Canadian standard than theAmerican standard. This study shows that all of the studied cities have summertime ozone levels that poserisk to human health and suggests that these problems will increase in the future with rising temperatures.

47


AGMUS Institute of MathematicsSan Juan, Puerto Rico

m e n tors

research

Jennifer Black, NCAR

community

Joanne Dunnebecke, NCAR

Xavier E.

Figueroa Muñiz

Evaluation of two snow events at the NCAR Marshall Field Site

This investigation examined two significant snowfall events in 2011, using data from instruments deployedat NCAR’s Marshall Field Site near Boulder, Colorado. Specific data used in this study included temperature,relative humidity, wind speeds, present weather type, and the total amount of accumulated liquid-equivalent precipitation. Previous studies have established that precipitation amounts collected by gaugeswith different types of wind shielding will collect different amounts of snow. In this study, two events withsimilar wind speeds were analyzed to determine if there was a consistent offset of accumulation between aDouble Fence Intercomparison Reference-shielded gauge and a Single Alter-shielded gauge. It was foundthat the Single Alter-shielded gauge under-caught the total snow accumulation by significant amounts inthese cases. This highlighted the importance of investigating the under-catch of precipitation gauges indifferent wind shields to get accurate accumulation measurements during snow conditions.

Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, Pennsylvania

m e n tors

research

Scott Landolt, NCAR

Brad Guay

A 32-year climatology of 700 mb temperature variation and how this impacted tornado occurrences

During the course of its lifetime, a thunderstorm may or may not produce a gust front (a boundary betweenthe cool air falling from a storm and the surrounding air). Since gust fronts can act as mechanisms for liftingmore warm air to fuel a thunderstorm, they can significantly increase a storm’s lifetime and intensity. However,not all storms produce gust fronts, and since we do not completely understand what differentiates gust frontstorms from non-gust front storms, these phenomena are difficult to accurately forecast. This work analyzedand compared the characteristics of gust front and non-gust front storms using data collected during the 2002International H2O Project. Time-height plots were created for four thunderstorms (two gust front and twonon-gust front) based on multiple parameters measured by NCAR’s S-Band Dual-Polarization Radar,including reflectivity and polarimetric fields such as differential reflectivity and specific differential phase.These plots helped establish the intensity and microphysics of each storm. Although additional case studiesand more accurate precipitation identification methods need to be incorporated into this avenue of research,some possible trends emerged from preliminary analyses, including faster growth rates and greater variationin precipitation types for gust front storms. Future work will establish more definite characteristics associatedwith gust front production, which in the future could make gust fronts easier to forecast.

48

Adams City High SchoolCommerce City, Colorado

m e n tors

research

Kathryn Newman, Christopher Williams, NCAR

Alberto Hernandez

University of Colorado at BoulderBoulder, Colorado

m e n tors

research

Sam Ng, MSU DenverScott Landolt, NCAR

Tommy Hoffman


Investigating tropical cyclone forecast errors by analyzing AHW track error outliers

Accurately forecasting track position for Tropical Cyclones (TC), ranging from tropical depressions toCategory 5 hurricanes on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, has direct implications on the public’sstorm preparedness. Making strides toward improvement of TC forecasts is the main motivation of the workdone for the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project (HFIP). This research project focuses on forecasts forspecific TCs during 2009 to 2011 from the Advanced Hurricane WRF (AHW) model developed by NCAR’sMesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division and the State University of New York at Albany. Best trackanalysis from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and AHW model output run retrospectively over thethree-year period were used to examine how individual track outliers relate to lead-time and observed stormintensity. Verification of the three year-aggregated AHW track forecasts against the NHC best track wasperformed to obtain a distribution of the forecast track errors. By analyzing box plots, properties such as themean, median, and outliers of the AHW track errors were investigated. As a precursor to reducing large-error track outliers, this investigation supports the HFIP effort to improve the accuracy of hurricane forecasts.

Investigation into the 7 June 2012 deviating supercell in Colorado

During the afternoon of 7 June 2012, a high-precipitation supercell occurred outside of Deer Trail, Colorado,that behaved abnormally compared to other storms in similar conditions. While major tornadogenesisappeared to be imminent–and this storm was the sole dominant storm present–only a very brief tornadotouchdown was reported. The storm split, creating a right-moving section that angled nearly 90 degreesfrom the expected storm motion; this section continued along this path for far longer than normal at agreater angle than predicted. This case study investigated possibilities why the right-moving sectionexhibited such an extreme shift in direction and why this storm did not display the full potential fortornadogenesis that had originally been observed. To do this investigation, observational data were collectedfrom local stations and simulated data were recreated by the Weather Research and Forecasting model.These data were analyzed to identify specific conditions that may have caused the storm to behaveabnormally. Data showed that the storm followed a baroclinic zone to the south over the Palmer Ridge aswell as the ageostrophic wind direction. Because of this, the storm ran into other forming storm cells whichdecreased its intensity. More research will need to be done to investigate the potential role of ageostrophicwinds on storm direction.

49


Brown UniversityProvidence, Rhode Island

m e n tors

research

Jim Smith, Andrew Turnipseed,Alex Guenther, NCAR

Nicolas Ledru

Determination of the planetary boundary layer heightduring the BEACHON-RoMBAS field campaign

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is the lowest layer of the atmosphere and is characterized by turbulent windpatterns, convective currents, and higher levels of mixing that facilitate the dispersion of aerosols and pollu-tants. The PBL height varies dramatically from daytime to nighttime and is thus difficult to simulate. A VaisalaCT12K ceilometer was deployed at Manitou Forest during the BEACHON-RoMBAS campaign and recordeddata from 14 July to 21 August 2011. The accuracy of the ceilometer measurements at Manitou is not known,especially since the atmosphere above Manitou has a smaller amount of aerosols than other field sites. Thegoal of this project was to compare the ceilometer-calculated PBL height to radiosonde data and long-livedtrace gas concentrations. Using the radiosonde data, the PBL height was determined. A plot was then pro-duced of the concentrations of monoterpene, acetonitrile, and other long-lived molecules versus altitude. Ifthese molecules had infinite lifetimes and weren't emitted from the forest, there would be an anti-correlationbetween PBL height and concentration because the concentrations would only vary based on changes in thePBL height. The resulting plot was compared to ceilometer data for a span of a few days during which, ide-ally, the amount of each molecule present in the atmosphere didn't change due to forest emissions or at-mospheric reactions. The ceilometer was shown to have a consistent offset above the PBL height determinedfrom the other sources.

Peak to Peak High SchoolLafayette, Colorado

m e n tors

research

Courtney Weeks, Michelle Harrold, NCAR

Jessica Lin

Deviating hurricane intensity in the Gulf of Mexico:An analysis of AOD and SST with hurricane best

track data from 2002-2011As the concentration of aerosols, particularly man-made aerosols, have rapidly increased since the industrialrevolution, studies have shown that they have adversely impacted human health and increased severeweather. This research project focuses on the analysis of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and sea surfacetemperature (SST) data to determine their combined effect on hurricane intensity in the Gulf of Mexico. Byextracting data from NASA satellites MODIS_Aqua and MODIS_Terra, as well as best track data of hurricanetracks from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, graphical figures were made using Matlab. Results haveshown that the most significant deviations from the mean of both AOD and SST data from 2002-2011occurred during the months of June, July, and August. Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico haveconsistently increased while the atmosphere above the United States and the Caribbean has been moreheavily polluted during the years 2002-2007 and again in 2011. There is minimal correlation between AODand SST, while the correlations with hurricane intensity vary. Hurricane best track data was overlaid on theAOD and SST figures to observe any subjective correlation between the three data sets. The frequency of land-falling hurricanes shows strong correlation with increasing SST, while the correlation with AOD does notshow consistent trends and requires further investigation. Further research goals are to explore potential AODand SST correlations in prevalent hurricane basins around the globe.

50

Colegio Bautista de CaguasCaguas, Puerto Rico

m e n tors

research

Alison Rockwell, NCAR

community

Raymond Detweiler, CSU

Osvaldo IV

Massanet Ramirez

University of Colorado at BoulderBoulder, Colorado

m e n tors

research

David Richter, NCAR

Edward Montoya


iPad application for NCAR’s Earth Observing Laboratory field projects

Mobile information is quickly becoming mainstream as more people use smartphones in their daily lives. TheEarth Observing Laboratory (EOL) is committed to using the latest technology and providing comprehensiveoutreach material, both of which were accomplished by creating the EOL iOS application, or “app.” This newoutreach tool will allow mobile users to gain a broader perspective of EOL's global scale by interfacing witha dynamic and interactive mapping display. The EOL Field Projects Map iPad app is based on JavaScript (JS)and hosted on the EOL server. The app communicates with this server and retrieves all the JS data througha web-based application. Inside the JS there is a URL to the EOL Keyhole Markup Language file that displaysall the locations of EOL’s field projects on a Google map using the EOL icon. Each icon is clickable toproduce a pop-up balloon showing more information about that particular project. This is how users can learnabout the global scope of research conducted through EOL field projects since1984.

Domain decomposition of sea spray-laden fluid dynamics code

Efficiently distributing a domain over a given number of CPUs is vital to minimizing the run time of parallelcomputational fluid dynamics codes. To find the optimal configuration, several distributions were tested and timedusing an NCAR-made, sea spray-laden code. Using 64 processors in NCAR’s Bluefire supercomputer, thefollowing domain distributions were applied (given as number of CPUs across the y-direction by number ofCPUs across the z-direction): 2x32, 4x16, 8x8,16x4, and 32x2. Having found the 8x8 configuration most efficientfor this task, the data obtained from the code was used to visualize the sea spray particle output using thecommercial plotting software Tecplot, which was also used to analyze particle movement using several differentparticle sizes. The figures produced from plotting the particles provided the information necessary to identifythe differences in particle movement inside turbulent structures in accordance with their size.

51


Universidad Del TuraboGurabo, Puerto Rico

m e n tors

research

Andrew Monaghan, NCAR

peer

Megan Delany, UCAR

Karielys

Ortiz-Rosario

Investigation of climatically suitable container breeding habitats for the

Dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegyptiDengue virus has become increasingly widespread throughout Central and South America in recent decades.Dengue fever is usually characterized by symptoms such as fever, headaches, pain in muscles, bones and joints,pain behind the eyes, widespread rash, nausea, vomiting, bleeding from the nose and mouth, weakness, andabdominal pain. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the primary vector that transmits the dengue virus to humans.Aedes aegypti is somewhat unique among mosquitoes in that it breeds almost exclusively in human-madecontainers, such as those found in yards and on patios. The overarching objective of this project is to inves-tigate whether the habitat of Aedes aegypti might shift or expand due to climate change, by modeling theabundance of this mosquito as a function of climate, human behavior, housing characteristics, and breedingcontainer characteristics. In support of this goal, we employed a regression model to estimate watertemperature in different types of containers that were encountered in several cities along the elevationtransect to understand which containers may be more favorable for breeding in a given city based on itsclimate. The model is driven by meteorological records collected in each city. We found that local climaticcharacteristics such as warm temperatures and abundant rainfall tend to have the biggest impact on breedingconditions within containers, whereas the type of container is of secondary importance.

Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY

m e n tors

research

John Mickey, NCAR

community

Cindy Worster, NCAR

Robert Perez-Ossers

The engineering and assembly of an X-band ground station

Engineers have developed systems to understand and analyze the unpredictable meteorological phenomenathat occur when studying weather patterns. Engineering an X-band weather station is a process that involvesmany different aspects and processes to produce an integrated system. The X-band weather station iscomposed of three separate systems: the power system, the data system, and the structural system. Withinthese three systems a series of components and devices are used to operate the whole weather station. Thepower system is composed of solar panels or line power with power converters, a battery, and a powerconverter. The data system is primarily composed of a data logger, an external memory or network, ananemometer (wind sensor), a temperature humidity sensor or snow depth sensor, a radiation sensor,precipitation sensors, and a tipping bucket precipitation gauge. The structural system is composed of thetower, guy wires, and instrument booms. Every single component of all three systems is essential to theproper performance of the weather station. The engineering of this station determines the accuracy of theresults that it obtains; therefore all components are equally important.

52

Antonio Lucchetti Vocational High SchoolArecibo, Puerto Rico

m e n tors

research

Alfred de Wijn, Scott SewellNCAR

community

Bonnie Sizer, SPARK

Yesenia Marie

Rivera-López

University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana

m e n tors

research

Rita Roberts, James Wilson, NCAR

Lai (Stella) Sam


Performance of the Spar Guider System for the NCAR Boulder Spar

The chromosphere is a poorly understand region of the lower solar atmosphere. Many unpredictable solarphenomena occur in this layer. Examples are flares and coronal mass ejections, which cause major problemswith communications and power systems on Earth. The Chromosphere and Prominence Magnetometer(ChroMag) is an instrument for observing the chromosphere. It will be installed on the sun-pointing Spar,which is a platform for pointing and tracking the Sun, in Boulder this fall. This research project seeks tounderstand the pointing accuracy of the Spar Guider System and how it affects the measurements and noiselevels of the ChroMag observations. The method used requires knowledge of the instrument design, thepower spectrum of the Spar pointing error, and the gradients of the chromospheric intensity. The powerspectrum is based on an educated guess. The gradients are determined from observations made by the SolarDynamics Observatory. We found a pointing-error-induced crosstalk of about 5 x10-3 I. The induced cross-talk is of the same magnitude as the intrinsic photon noise of the measurement. Follow-up analysis isrecommended with a measured Spar pointing error power spectrum.

Implications of storm formation on heavy rainfall events in Taiwan

The terrain and climate of Taiwan make it very vulnerable to natural disasters that cause devastating effectsand tremendous losses for its people. In 2008, the Terrain-influenced Monsoon Rainfall Experiment (TiMREX)was conducted to identify the frequency of storm development and the amount of rainfall in 5-minute and3-hour intervals. Using TiMREX and radiosonde data, individual storm cells were tracked to analyze the trendsof storm formation and evolution over the terrain in southern Taiwan. The elliptical area of each storm cellwas derived from low-level radar scans, and the 5-minute rainfall rates and 3-hour rainfall accumulations wererecorded and graphed for several rain gauge stations on May 25, June1, and June 8,2008. The 5-minuterainfall rate and 3-hour rainfall accumulation over time using radar and rain gauge were also gathered andgraphed to examine the pattern of rainfall increase and decrease over time, as well as to compare radarrainfall estimates to rain gauge measurements. Results showed no significant correlation between heavierrainfall and larger storm areas. This is likely due to incomplete radar detection of total storm area becausethe Taiwan foothills block the lower levels of the radar beam. Contrarily, graphs of the 3-hour rainfallaccumulation as well as the 5-minute rainfall rate indicated a trend of significant heavy rainfall increasingover time. This information could be used in the future to better predict the pattern of rainfall as timeprogresses during storms.

53

Broomfield High SchoolBroomfield, Colorado

m e n tors

research

Albert Jachcik, NCAR

Nathan Yeo

Installation of the Belfort Wireless Wind Sensor

Knowledge of wind speed and direction is vital to meteorology. This information helps meteorologistspredict severe weather and other atmospheric phenomena. This project constructed and placed a wirelesswind sensor to assess both wind speed and direction. The wind sensor was placed at the Marshall Field Site,where no tall buildings disturb the wind. Wind sensor construction was primarily mechanical, using tools andother equipment. The wind sensor was then mounted on a 10-meter tower. Its stability and height alsominimized other errors in the data it acquired. Each of these steps was crucial for the wind sensor toproduce precise and accurate results. In the future, the sensor’s measurements will be posted on the RALwinter weather group website, where scientists can utilize those measurements.


Key to Mentors’ Affiliations

AGMUS Ana G. Mendez University SystemAU American UniversityBayou Land RC&D Bayou Land Resource Conservation and DevelopmentBTNEP Barataria-Terrabonne National Estuary Program CIRES Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesCOMET Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and TrainingCOSMIC Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere & ClimateCSU Colorado State UniversityCU University of Colorado at BoulderESRL Earth System Research LaboratoryGLOBE Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the EnvironmentMSU Denver Metropolitan State University of DenverNCAR National Center for Atmospheric ResearchNOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationPSU The Pennsylvania State UniversityPU Purdue UniversityRESESS Research Experiences in Solid Earth Sciences for StudentsSLWDC South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery CenterSOARS Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and SciencesThirteen Moons The Fond du Lac Tribal College Extension ProgramUCAR University Corporation for Atmospheric ResearchUL University of Louisiana at LafayetteUNO-CHART University of New Orleans, Center for Hazards Assessment, Response & TechnologyUSGS United States Geological Survey

RESESS

IRIS

National Science Foundation, Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences Program (OEDG)

UNAVCO

USGS

SOARS

National Science Foundation, Directorate for Geosciences, Atmospheric Sciences

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,Climate Program Office

Center for Multi-scale Modeling of Atmospheric Processes at Colorado State University

Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

University of Colorado at Boulder

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Spark Pre-College Internship

National Center for Atmospheric Research

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Science Foundation

Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

STAFF

RESESS: Lon Abbott, Megan Berg, Donna Charlevoix, Erin Leckey, Taunia Leuvano, Shelley Olds, Tim Reeme, Valerie Sloan, Melissa Weber

Student Opportunities (SOARS & Pre-College Internship): Rebecca Batchelor, Rebecca Haacker-Santos, Moira Kennedy, Scott Landolt, Rajul Pandya, Karen Smith-Herman, Nancy Wade

Authors: RESESS, SOARS and Pre-College Internship students and staff

Editors: RESESS, SOARS and Pre-College Internship mentors and staff

Review Editor: Rebecca Batchelor, Brian Bevirt, Valerie Sloan

Photography: UCAR, UNAVCO Design: Gene Malowany, Malowany Associates Printing: B&B Printers

The material is based upon work supported by the National Science

Foundation under Grants No. ATM-0618847, AGS-1120459, and

OEDG-0914704. The material was prepared by SOARS under award

number NA06OAR4310119 from the National Oceanic and Atmos-

pheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, and by RESESS

with the support of UNAVCO. The statements, findings, conclusions

and recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily

reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-

tration or the Department of Commerce.

2 0 1 2 S P O N S O R S A N D A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

Opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in thispublication do not necessarily reflect the views of any SOARS, RESESS, orSpark Pre-College Internship sponsors or managing organizations.UCAR and UNAVCO are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employers.

SOARS is a registered trademarkof the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

Earth, Wind, Sea, and Sky is a jointpublication of SOARS, RESESS, andthe Spark Pre-College Internship.

This publication has been printed on recycled-content paper by anenvironmentally-friendly printer.

Research Experiences in Solid Earth Science for Students UNAVCO www.resess.unavco.org

Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) www.soars.ucar.edu

Spark Pre-College Internshipwww.hiro.ucar.edu

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